


Caught In The Middle | Mayans MC

by kl4uss



Category: Mayans M.C. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-10-18 16:24:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 88,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17584292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kl4uss/pseuds/kl4uss
Summary: Victoria Miller was just a normal nurse in Santo Padre, California that worked with children during the daytime and a healer for the motorcycle club; The Mayans, during the night. Victoria's life is pretty mundane with her normal job at the hospital and helping out at the butcher shop along with her unorthodox relationship with Angel Reyes. But what happens when her best friend is released from prison and everything is turned upside down? Is Victoria ready for the war that surrounds the Mayans or will she be caught in the middle?





	1. Info .

_Victoria Miller grew up in Santo Padre, California right next to the Reyes brothers. She's been best friends with Ezekiel "EZ" since she was six and has been in a "friends-who-kiss-and-fuck" relationship with Angel for the past seven and a half years. Victoria has also been the resident nurse for the town's motorcycle club; The Mayans, for the past two years._

_What happens when EZ gets out of prison? Does the younger Reyes approve of this relationship between his best friend and brother? What if EZ is hiding secrets from his best friend and family? What is his sudden interest in the club?_

_What happens when Victoria is finally introduced to the notorious man of the Galindo cartel? Who is the mysterious and silent Nestor Oceteva?_

_Are Angel and Victoria really just friends? What happens when feelings are involved? What happens if Angel has another man fighting for Victoria's feelings?_

_Victoria Miller never thought this was how her life was going to turn out. She was just supposed to be a nurse for children but everything in her life is about to be turned upside down the more she gets involved with The Mayans and there is nothing that she can do to stop it._


	2. Welcome Home, Ezekiel

Victoria Miller tightened her messy brunette bun on the top of her head while she sat in her air conditioned car for a moment once she was parked outside of the familiar butcher shop; Carniceria Reyes. The brunette woman knew as soon as she stepped foot onto the street of her hometown that a heat wave was going to hit her, so Victoria tried to absorb all of the cold air that she could. It had already been a long day for the woman as she had just finished working a 12-hour shift in the Pediatric department at Santo Padre Medical Center.

However, Victoria didn't mind stopping by the butcher shop. Carniceria Reyes had always been like a second home to the nurse as a child since Felipe and Marisol Reyes had taken care of her and made sure that she was well fed while her father; John, was off dealing meth through the neighborhoods and her mother; Stacey, was off stripping at the local clubs or they were both in jail. 

Finally, after about four more minutes of cool air streaming on her face, Victoria, sadly, turned off her red Hyundai Accent and exited out of the vehicle to face the sunny weather of California. The brunette nurse immediately released a heavy sigh at the hotness but knew it wasn't anything new before she locked her car and placed her keys into the front pocket of her light blue scrubs. Victoria then looked both way before she quickly crossed the street and entered the cool butcher shop.

"Pop!" Victoria shouted like she usually did when she would stop by while she gave the customers a small smile once she was in the presence of the smell of fresh meat. The Miller woman then headed towards the back when she didn't hear the gruff voice of the owner of the shop before she continued, "hey, where are you? I'm here so you can go take a break for a couple -" However, before Victoria could finish telling Felipe to go rest, she was surprised when she walked into the backroom and saw someone that she hasn't seen in eight years. 

"EZ!" The brunette nurse shouted in shock before a small smile shined across her pale pink lips. "Look what the cat dragged in," Victoria joked before she held her arms out as she waited for her hug. Victoria was honestly surprised that Ezekiel was here. The last time that they had talked, which was a couple of weeks ago, EZ didn't say anything about getting released from prison. 

Ezekiel let out a deep chuckle before he stood up from the metal chair and quickly walked over to his best friend. The younger Reyes then pulled Victoria into a tight hug before he twirled the brunette woman in the air for three long circles. Ezekiel listened to one of his favorite sounds as Victoria laughed once he placed her sneakers back onto the ground before he asked with a smile on his own face, "what are you doing here? I thought you would have left this town like you planned when we were younger."

Victoria gave her best friend a bright smile as she couldn't help but to be happy that Ezekiel was here in person. It had been forever since she had seen his face. Ezekiel had made it a rule that she wasn't allowed to visit him since he didn't want to upset her. But they did speak over the phone once a week, so they were still close. However, the one thing Victoria never did tell Ezekiel is where she was living. Victoria knew if she had told Ezekiel that she had decided to stay in Santo Padre then he would have worried about her, so she always kept that a secret during their talks.

"Pop needed the help with the shop," Victoria stated with a shrug of her shoulders before she explained, "besides, I still got to do what we talked about when we were in high school. I'm a nurse." The Miller woman then shot her best friend a small smirk as she added, "I just have some private clients during the night and the kiddies during the day."

Felipe loudly scoffed at Victoria's description of her job to his younger son before he told Ezekiel with resentment in his voice, "she's working with the MC." The older Reyes still hated, after two years, that Victoria was around the Mayans thanks to his older son. Felipe cared for the young woman like his own children, so he showed his disgust every chance he got for the fact that Victoria was running with the motorcycle club.

Ezekiel's brown eyes instantly widened in surprise at this new information. He had been back in Santo Padre for three weeks and he hadn't heard about any of this. Ezekiel had made sure his brother nor his father told Victoria that he was in town just yet as he was more focused on prospecting for the aforementioned motorcycle club. But now Ezekiel is pissed that Angel didn't tell him anything about his best friend hanging around the club and is also worried that Victoria could get mixed up with the wrong things. "What the hell, Victoria?" The prospect snapped as he couldn't hold in his emotions, "are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Victoria let out a heavy sigh as she knew that she would get this reaction if Ezekiel knew the truth. It was the same way Felipe reacted but with more yelling. Victoria understood why Ezekiel was worried but there really wasn't any reason to, so the brunette nurse opened her mouth to explain that she was being safe. However, before Victoria could even utter a single word, the older Reyes brother came strutting into the backroom with his loud boots and his MC colors on his back. 

"Hey, Pop," Angel greeted his father with a single nod of his head along with his brother with a simple, "EZ," before he headed over to  Victoria. The older Reyes then titled the brunette woman's pale chin towards the ceiling and looked into her hazel eyes with a lazy smile before he placed a soft kiss onto her smooth lips. "How was work?" Angel inquired once he took a small step back from Victoria.

Victoria gave Angel a small smile as she stared into his brown eyes before she murmured, "it was good." The Miller woman then moved her eyes over to her best friend, where she noticed the wide-eyed Ezekiel. The brunette nurse couldn't help but let out a heavy chuckle at the clueless Reyes. "I think we need to have a talk," Victoria told her best friend as she knew she needed to explain a lot of things to Ezekiel. The Miller woman then turned her attention onto Pop once Ezekiel nodded his head in agreement before she asked, "will you be okay while I take EZ out to talk?"

The elder Reyes silently walked over to Victoria instead of answering her question and placed a kiss onto the top of her head like he always does when he knows that she's about to leave before he grumbled under his breath as he stomped his way back to the front of the butcher shop, "I've been running this place for thirty plus years and never needed any damn help. Chica Loca."  

The two Reyes brothers and the Miller woman all let out soft chuckles at the older man as it wasn't anything new that they weren't used to while growing up. They were all used to his small English to Spanish rants and his storming outs. The backroom of the butcher shop then grew silent after a moment or so before Angel turned his attention onto Victoria with a deep pout. "I thought you were gonna join me tonight for drinks at the clubhouse," Angel mumbled as he lazily wrapped his arms around the brunette's small waist.

Victoria shook her head in amusement at Angel's clingy attitude before she promised, "I'll stop by later." The Miller woman gave the older Reyes a small smile as she stated, "I just need to talk to EZ for a bit." She then stood onto her tippy toes and placed a quick kiss onto Angel's lips before she looked over at EZ and nodded her head towards the door. Victoria knew that there was going to be some tension between the brothers since they never really gotten along, so she wanted to hurry EZ out of the door before they started a fight.

Thankfully, Ezekiel understood Victoria's memo as he was only a couple of steps behind her. "Hey, uh, do you mind if I ride with you?" The younger Reyes questioned as he scratched the back of his head once they were standing outside of the butcher shop. Ezekiel didn't want to ride his new motorcycle just yet as he wanted to tell Victoria first that he was prospecting with the Mayans. He felt it would be easier than if his best friend saw him on the back of a new Harley with his kutte on his back. 

Victoria glanced over to her best friend for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders and mumbled, "sure." The Miller woman felt like it was obvious that Ezekiel would be riding with her as she didn't see Pop's truck anywhere on the street, but she didn't push her confusion any further. Victoria figured Ezekiel was just still trying to get used to the outside world after being inside prison for eight years. 

Once the childhood best friends were settled into the Miller woman's red Hyundai Accent with the soft sound of rock music coming from the radio, they drove the short drive to Mama's Tacos, where Victoria and Ezekiel would come to eat everyday after school. They ordered their signature order of al pastor and barbacoa tacos before they settled into the back corner of the small restaurant, where they instantly began to eat before Victoria decided it was time to explain somethings to Ezekiel.

"After all that shit that went down after high school," Victoria began as she decided not to actually speak the day that they lost the lovely Marisol Reyes as she knew Ezekiel already has that day branded into his brain, "I decided to help out Pop with the shop while I went to college. So I went to Sonoma State University about an hour away for six years and got my Master's degree." Victoria took another bite out of her taco before she continued, "I got a job at SPMC about two years ago which was around the time I got my second job." 

Ezekiel took a sip of his cold Dr. Pepper and shook his head in confusion at his best friend's story before he voiced his puzzlement, "where does Angel come into all this?" The younger Reyes just couldn't put everything together from what he saw earlier at the butcher shop. "I mean, you guys act like you are a couple or some shit," Ezekiel mumbled as he took a large bite of his taco.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders as she wasn't exactly sure how to answer that. "Ange was dealing with the stress of losing mama M and stuff with the club and I was trying to help out the family while juggling college and losing you and mama M. So, we got closer by consoling one another and the next thing I know I'm best friends with the guy that used to make fun of my hair and glasses as a kid," Victoria explained, "and then one thing led to another, we ended up sleeping together." The Miller woman then let out a sigh when she saw Ezekiel's same confused expression before she tried once more, "I don't know what to tell you, EZ, we're friends but we are there for each other. If we need to relieve some stress, we call each other up and we greet and care for one another like you saw. We just don't put any labels on it."

Ezekiel slowly nodded his head as he began to piece everything together. The younger Reyes understood since he was locked up and his family was falling apart behind him while his best friend and brother slowly migrated towards one another. Ezekiel was just more pissed at Angel for never mentioning it during the last twenty-one days that he has spent at the clubhouse. "So, is that how you got messed in with the Mayans?" Ezekiel couldn't help but ask with anger in his voice for the fact that Angel not only stole his best friend but has also endangered her life by bringing her around the clubhouse - the sole reason why he hadn't reached out to Victoria since he's been back in Santo Padre.

Victoria waved her hand carelessly as she tried to push away Ezekiel's blame on Angel. "It just sort of happened," the brunette woman uttered before she explained how she got involved with the motorcycle club, "Ange came by one night with a bleeding Coco and I fixed him up. Bish then had Angel bring me down to the templo the next day." Victoria shrugged her shoulders as she commented, "I guess Bishop wanted to know if he could trust me after patching up one of his men." The Miller woman took another bite out of her taco before she continued, "anyway, Angel explained to Bish that I've been his close friend for years and explained how I've been helping out with Pop, so he accepted me. Now, whenever the club needs anything medical, they just call me to the house so they don't have to go through the hospital system or the tunnels."

The younger Reyes let out a heavy sigh as he stared into his best friend's hazel eyes. "Are you at least being safe and careful, Vic?" Ezekiel questioned as he still didn't like that Victoria was getting involved with the club that he's prospecting for. He knew how dangerous things can get by only being around them for a short while but he didn't want his childhood best friend to get involved in all the guns and drugs. Victoria is the only sane thing in his life and he didn't want to ruin that.

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes at her worried best friend before she exclaimed, "yes, EZ." She shrugged her shoulders and explained, "whenever I show up, it's just the club so I'm never around any of the Mayans' connections or enemies." Victoria then gave Ezekiel a small smile as she knew what was running through her best friend's mind before she stated, "you should give Angel some credit. He makes sure I'm never in the middle of the club's problems or in any danger."

"Oh, I'll give him something," Ezekiel mumbled under his breath as he shoved the rest of his taco into his mouth. The younger Reyes was still pissed that his brother was involving Victoria into the club and it wasn't because of their relationship either. Yeah, Ezekiel didn't like the relationship Victoria and Angel had but he thought his brother would be smart enough to not involve Victoria with the motorcycle club. It's dangerous as it is for them but now his best friend goes to the clubhouse on a basis which puts a big red target on her back. 

"What's your problem with the club, EZ?" The Miller woman couldn't help but ask once she tossed her napkin into the plastic red basket. She had noticed the hostility towards the Mayans ever since she had ran into her best friend at the butcher shop. Victoria knew it was different from Pop's usual disgust with the club, but she just couldn't put her finger on why Ezekiel is so pissed off with her helping out the club. Victoria knew it could be dangerous for her but she and Angel make sure that she's safe, so she didn't see what Ezekiel's issue was.

The younger Reyes pressed his knuckles into his forehead with a heavy sigh at Victoria's question as he knew that he needed to tell her the truth. Victoria was the only one in town that didn't know about his involvement with the club and now that she knows that he's back, Ezekiel can't keep hiding it any longer. "Listen," the younger Reyes began as he messed with short nails, "the reason why I don't like you going around the club is because I'm prospecting and I know how dangerous it is, Vic."

The Miller woman's hazel eyes instantly widened in surprise at her best friend's confession before her brows furrowed a second later. "How are you already prospecting when you barely just got back to S'Padre?" Victoria inquired in confusion. She didn't know much about the process of becoming a club member for the Mayans but Victoria figured it would take more than just a couple of hours to be an official prospect. 

"Uh," Ezekiel mumbled as he nervously scratched the back of his head before he confessed his other secret, "I've actually been home for three weeks and I've been prospecting for the last two weeks and a half." The younger Reyes knew he was going to be hit with a mouth loud of yelling from his best friend but he would do again and again. Ezekiel knew it was keeping Victoria safe by not telling her but, of course, Angel forgot to mention that Victoria already comes to the clubhouse and is also involved with a member of the Mayans.  _No wonder Angel makes me leave when someone's injured,_ Ezekiel realized as he waited for the blow from his best friend.

"Are you kidding me, Ezekiel?" Victoria snapped as she reached across the small table and slapped her best friend's black and red plaid shirt covered arm. "Do you not fucking realize how worried I've been for your ass?" The angry Miller woman ranted, "I got so worried when I didn't talk to you for the past two Thursdays for our weekly phone call. I thought something happened to your ass on the inside!" Victoria couldn't believe that her best friend not only didn't tell her that he was out of prison but he is also involved with the club. "Wait," Victoria paused with anger still steaming from her ears before she interrogated, "did Angel know all this time?"

Ezekiel nodded his head before he quickly explained before Victoria could go on a hunting party for his brother, "I told him and Pop to keep quiet until I was ready to tell you." The younger Reyes ran his hand through his short hair with a loud huff before he tried to convince his best friend that he needs to do this as he questioned, "who's going to hire an ex-con, Vic?" He shook his head and mumbled, "no one, that's who. At least with the club, I know that my skills will be put to use." 

Victoria grumbled under her breath as she knew Ezekiel is right. No one in their right mind would hire a cop killer/ ex-con no matter the fact that he has a degree from Stanford. The Miller woman knew this is Ezekiel's best option at a normal life.  _At least he'll have Angel,_ the brunette thought as she knew the older Reyes wouldn't let Ezekiel do anything too stupid. "Fine," Victoria finally mumbled as she rolled her hazel eyes before she exclaimed once she stole a jalapeno from Ezekiel's basket, "I'm still gonna give Angel hell for this, though." 

Ezekiel let out a thankful chuckle at the fact that Victoria wasn't too mad at him and the fact that his brother was going to get part of the blame as well. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Vic," the younger Reyes told his best friend with his signature, toothy grin. The best friend duo then grew silent for a few minutes as they both enjoyed the familiar atmosphere of Mama's Tacos and the soft music playing in the background before Ezekiel opened his mouth and curiously wondered and bit down on his bottom lip, "do you still talk with Emily?"

Victoria gave her best friend a sad smile at the question about his high school sweetheart before she shook her head and uttered, "we stopped talking about a couple of weeks into your sentence." The Miller woman shrugged her shoulders as she recalled what happened back then, "she showed up at the butcher shop one day in tears and said that she was going off to some Ivy League school and said that she was never coming back." Victoria took a sip of her cold water before she continued, "Em sends birthday and Christmas cards every year, though, so there's that. I also heard that she comes into town a couple days a month but I've never ran into her with how busy everything is around here these days."

Ezekiel's brows furrowed at the new information before he apologized, "I'm sorry that the shit that happened back then caused you to lose one of your closest friends, Vic." The younger Reyes instantly knew what day Victoria was talking about as it was the day that he told Emily that they were done - which obviously caused a strain in Emily and Victoria's friendship. That was the last thing Ezekiel wanted as he knew Emily and Victoria were always close during high school as it was Victoria who had introduced him to his high school sweetheart.

Victoria shook her head as she lightly waved her right hand in the air. "Don't worry about it," the Miller nurse assured her best friend, "it's just life. Some people come and go, no matter how close you were, and some people are stuck in your life." Victoria threw Ezekiel a smirk as she joked, "and I'm one of those stuck people in your live." The brunette nurse didn't blame Ezekiel at all like he was obviously doing. Emily Thomas was just someone she would say 'hey' to if they were walking down the street and saw each other instead of someone that Victoria would call to hang out and catch up on gossip. They just lost touch like many high school friends do.

The Miller woman let out a silent sigh as she watched as Ezekiel avoided looking into her hazel eyes and didn't laugh at her teasing. She knew he was lost in their past life, so she decided to get his mind off of his old high school sweetheart. "So Angel and Pop have been trying to teach this white girl Spanish while you've been gone," Victoria uttered with an easy smile shining on her pink lips. The brunette shook her head with a chuckle and muttered, "growing up in S'Padre for twenty-seven years and six years of private lessons from them and I still suck at it." 

A toothy grin finally lifted onto Ezekiel's lips at his best friend's confession before he commanded in his native tongue, "escuchémoslo entonces." _[Let's hear it then.]_ Ezekiel remembered all through junior high and high school that he used to try to help Victoria with her Spanish since she was always around his Spanish-speaking family but it would always end up with them just messing around like teenagers would. However, there was a few lessons when Victoria would come by and his mother, Marisol, would make the young girl speak short sentences while she helped make dinner as the older woman was always willing to help make Victoria feel more at home in their house when she would stay over while her own parents were gone.

"Deja de ser un gilipollas," _[Stop being an asshole.]_ Victoria roughly uttered in Spanish with a wide smirk plastered across her face before she and Ezekiel busted out into a heavy laughter in the middle of Mama's Tacos at what she had said. "Pop taught me that one, so I could tell Angel off when he'd annoy me," the Miller woman explained the first sentence that she proudly showed her best friend - which happened to be quite vulgar. 

Ezekiel rolled his brown eyes with a chuckle before he murmured, "of course Pop did." The younger Reyes knew he shouldn't be surprised that his father taught Victoria that statement. He and Angel never really had a close relationship to begin with along with the fact while they were growing up, Pop would always tell Victoria all these Spanish phrases to keep teenage boys away - sometimes phrases he wouldn't explain to the young girl to scare away the hormonal teenagers like Ezekiel would do for his best friend during high school as no one was good enough for her.

The Reyes man and the Miller woman both laughed together as they enjoyed each other's company for the first time in over eight years for a couple of minutes before Ezekiel opened his mouth to see what else his father and brother has been teaching his best friend. However, before the younger Reyes could ask, they were soon interrupted when his cell phone began to ring in the front right pocket of his jeans. Ezekiel gave his best friend a quick, apologetic smile as he pulled out his device before he looked down and noticed a text message. "It's Angel," the younger Reyes mumbled before he told Victoria, "they need me on a run." 

Victoria instantly nodded her head in understanding as she was used to these random calls from the club whenever she would be around Angel. She has been dealing with it for the last six years while having fun with the older Reyes so Victoria is quite familiar with what needs to be done. "Where do you need me to drop you off at?" Victoria asked her best friend like she usually would with Angel if he rode with her as she stood up from the table and laid the payment for their meal plus an extra fifteen dollars for Mama Silvia - the owner of her childhood restaurant.  

Ezekiel tiredly and slowly stood up from the red cushioned seat of Mama's Tacos before he lifted his arms in the air and stretched out his long body. The younger Reyes was feeling a mixture of sleepiness and fullness from one of his favorite 'meals-away-from-home' for the first time in eight years. Once Ezekiel had shook the tiredness from his mind and body, he turned towards his awaiting best friend with his signature toothy grin and finally answered her question in a fake, stern voice, "the prospect is needed at the butcher shop."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes at her best friend's voice that sounded like a drunk Angel before she waved goodbye to Mama Silvia and followed Ezekiel out of the small restaurant while they playfully shoved each other around with the familiar sounds of their laughter echoing out of Mama's Tacos like they used to when they were still in school. The two best friends then headed towards Victoria's red Hyundai Accent before they took the short drive back to Carniceria Reyes.

Once they were back in the same parking spot from an hour or so ago, the younger Reyes instantly jumped out of the car and jogged towards the back of the butcher shop. Ezekiel knew he needed to hurry since Angel wasn't here yet, so he quickly slipped on his Prospect kutte from the compartment on the right side of his motorcycle before he started up his aforementioned ride and slowly drove it back to the front street.

"Looking good, Reyes," the Miller woman exclaimed with a smirk as she watched her best friend drive his brand new ride by the door of Carniceria Reyes. Victoria then walked across the street once she locked her car to get a closer look at the motorcycle before she released a low whistle. "Softtail Deluxe with 22-inch ape hangers," the brunette nurse listed off as she gently ran her finger across the shiny black paint job before she looked up at Ezekiel with a nod of her head and exclaimed, "she's a beauty."

Ezekiel lifted up his right eyebrow in surprise at Victoria's description of his motorcycle that he barely knew anything about. There had never been a time when Ezekiel knew his best friend liked motorcycles, so this was definitely a shock to him. "You know your bikes?" The younger Reyes questioned as he held his Harley up with the left leg while he placed his leather gloves onto his hands at the exact same time as the older Reyes parked his motorcycle next to the other bike.

The newly arrived Angel Reyes took off his helmet and laid it onto his right handlebar and took off his sunglasses before stuck them into the pocket of his Mayans kutte. The older man shot the brunette woman a large smirk once he was comfortably sitting on his motorcycle before Angel answered his brother's question for Victoria, "of course she does." Angel then nodded his head towards the right before he murmured, "come here, princesa."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes at the older Reyes brother with a soft chuckle before she turned her attention back onto Ezekiel and explained about her interest in motorcycles, "when Ange and I were first becoming closer, he would take me on rides so I learned quite a lot over the last six years and I just got into all the details after that." The Miller woman then walked over to the impatient Angel after she saw Ezekiel nod his head in understanding before she was instantly wrapped in Angel's arms once she was close enough to reach. 

Angel smiled slightly when he heard the giggling come out of Victoria's mouth before he uttered as he rubbed his fingers along the brunette's back side that was covered by her light blue scrubs, "we gotta make a run over in Nevada but I'll call you when we get back." The older Reyes then pulled Victoria closer so she was pressed up against his chest and motorcycle before he uttered softly with a smirk shining across his lips, "maybe instead of drinks at the clubhouse, we can do something fun... alone."

Victoria instantly threw her head back and let out a heavy chuckle at the older Reyes brother's obvious command that usually met sex for them. The Miller woman then patted Angel's cheek with her own smirk on her face before she whispered as she teased Angel, "in your dreams, mi querido."

This was usually how their routine went. She or Angel, usually the later, would start the teasing about wanting to spend time with the other before they would end up in bed together. But every time wasn't the same as sometimes they would be out at a party and they would both want each other or sometimes it would just happen naturally like a normal couples relationship would. That is what usually confused people since they would have these moments of being a couple but the friends-turned-bed-buddies would just push that away. They love each other like best friends but they never went further than that. They just never needed to push it any further as they were happy just by being there for one another since neither of them were interested in other people and there was no competition of other people in the way. 

Angel let out a deep, throaty laugh at the brunette woman's statement as he slowly ran his right hand up and down her back. "Tu español esta mejorando," _[Your Spanish is getting better.]_ the older Reyes complimented with a cheeky grin before he lifted his hand up to Victoria's right cheek and pulled her into a needy kiss. Angel then pulled away from their embrace after a minute or two before he whispered against the nurse's soft lips, "we all know I'm already in your dreams, princesa."

Victoria instantly ducked her head into the chuckling Angel's chest as she felt the redness reach her cheeks from his teasing like she usually did. It didn't matter that they had been fooling around with each other for the past six years, Victoria always felt this thrill in her chest when she would hear Angel's deep, bed voice. Finally, after about two minutes of standing there, Victoria felt the redness go away from her face so she lifted up her head and looked at the older Reyes with a small smirk. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ange," the Miller woman exclaimed as she shot back her own teasing.

"Oh, Dios mío,"  _[Oh, my God.]_ Ezekiel groaned as he threw his head back in annoyance at watching his best friend and brother flirt with each other. "Can we go already?" The younger Reyes grumbled under his breath as he couldn't stand to watch this any longer. Ezekiel didn't even like this relationship or friends-with-benefit thing that they have going on, so seeing it play out in front of him was the last thing in the world Ezekiel wanted to do right now.

"Paciencia, hermanito,"  _[Patience, little brother.]_ Angel told the younger Reyes with a deep chuckle before he placed his matte black helmet back onto his head and buckled it tightly against his chin. He then turned his attention back onto the woman in front of him and lightly placed his gloved hand on her right cheek. "If you get into any trouble while we are gone, call Pop or call the clubhouse, alright?" Angel ordered as he stared into Victoria's hazel eyes with seriousness in his brown ones. He may not be in a real relationship with Victoria, but Angel had promised himself a long time ago that he was going to make sure that Victoria would always be protected and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Victoria held in her eye roll that she wanted to do at the worried Reyes as she knew that this is Angel's usual routine when he goes off on a run for the club. Instead, she nodded her head and murmured, "I'll be fine." Victoria then slowly and silently raised her hand to the back of Angel's kutte, where she knew his gun was resting, before she assured him, "I have mine if I need the protection."

Angel had given her the weapon the same day that Bishop had called her into the clubhouse after she patched up Coco and Angel had also taught her how to keep herself safe since she was going to be involved with the club. Victoria understood why Angel wanted her to have the gun since being around the club is dangerous, so she didn't really have a problem with having the weapon on her. It was just added protection for her when Angel wasn't around.

However, there was someone that didn't agree with Angel's form of protection for the Miller woman as the younger Reyes brother growled as he glared over at the person that caused his anger, "what the hell, Angel? You gave my best friend a gun!" Ezekiel couldn't believe that his brother actually gave Victoria a weapon. _She couldn't possibly know what to do with it_ , Ezekiel thought as his best friend was never involved in that shit while growing up. She always stayed focused on school and volunteering instead getting messed up with all the gangs, drugs, and guns when they were teenagers. 

Angel rolled his brown eyes at his brother before he easily told him, "relájate, hermanito."  _[Relax, little brother.]_ The older Reyes threw his arm protectively around Victoria's waist before he explained to Ezekiel, "you've been gone a long time, EZ. She's not the same little girl that you grew up with anymore. Besides, I needed to keep her safe from all of our enemies and this is how I decided to get shit done during the off chances that I'm not around to keep her safe." The older Reyes then pulled the aforementioned woman into a passionate goodbye kiss before he told his brother in an emotionless voice, "now let's go, prospect."

Victoria couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh at the obvious tension between the two brothers. She knew it would be coming with the different ways that Ezekiel and Angel both chose to protect her and the two different relationships that she has with them. However, Victoria knew it wasn't the time for this talk when they were about to go on a run with each other and they definitely didn't need anymore issues, so the brunette woman rubbed her hand across Angel's leather kutte covered heart and ordered softly, "be careful and take care of EZ."

Angel gave Victoria a cheeky grin as he focused his dark eyes solely onto her hazel ones before he murmured in his deep, sensual voice, "sí, señora." The Reyes brothers both then started up their motorcycles and gave one of the most important woman in their lives a small nod before they took off down the street of Santo Padre to meet the rest of the MC at their check-in spot so they could head to Nevada for their run.

The Miller woman silently watched as her best friend and her  _Angel_  drove off until she couldn't see them anymore before Victoria released another heavy sigh at the long day that had all transpired in the last couple of hours. Victoria knew now that Ezekiel is back in Santo Padre that everything is going to get more difficult - especially her relationship with the older Reyes. She knew Ezekiel was going to have something to say about it unlike everyone else, who had just grown to understand the relationship between the two adults. Victoria and Angel just had that easy going friendship that sprung to life after all of the shit hit the fan in their lives. Sure, them sleeping with each other was from a night of sadness but they still loved and cared for one another like two close friends and sometimes even lovers should. It was just how it went after sleeping with each other for seven years. There had to be feelings but Victoria and Angel just never brought them up. There was no need to when there was no man or woman in each other's lives that would cause things to get complicated and that's the way that Victoria and Angel liked it.

The other issue that Victoria is concerned about is the fact that her best friend is prospecting with the Mayans. Victoria trusts the motorcycle club with her life but it just made her worry about Ezekiel since he never wanted anything apart of that life like Angel always did while they were growing up. Ezekiel always wanted a future away from Santo Padre, so it was still a little hard for Victoria to wrap her mind around the fact that her best friend wants to join the Mayans. It is just so unlike Ezekiel to want to stay here and join the MC, but Victoria knew she had to remember that it's been eight years and people change. She surely did from the young girl who always dreamed of living in New York with a loving husband and a couple of kids of her own. She instead lives in the same town that ruined her parents with drugs and stripping and is in a sort-of-relationship with a guy that she used to couldn't stand as a teenager while helping out the local motorcycle club. 

"Ugh, I need a drink," Victoria grumbled to herself once she jumped out her thoughts when she heard the sound of someone honking their horn as she still stood in front of the same spot that the Reyes brothers left her in. The Miller woman ran her fingers through her messy bun with a heavy sigh before she finally turned around to head into Carniceria Reyes, so she could help Pop close up shop for the day.  _Hopefully Pop has some beer,_ Victoria thought as she was definitely going to need something to help calm her nerves from Ezekiel's first run and this splitting headache that she had recently been sporting from the long day in Santo Padre, California where nothing is ever as normal as it seems. 


	3. Seven Years Ago

_The loud sound of a mix of hip-hop and_ _norteño_   _music played throughout the large house that belonged to the local high school's star quarterback - Antony Benavidez - like there usually was when the weekend comes around in the small town of Santo Padre, California. The house that was in the middle of the woods was the hangout spot for every teenager or young adult around. There was always a mixture of races, ages, and affiliations at the party. No cared that the younger Mayans came to party at a straight-A student's house nor that there was alcohol and drugs being passed around like it was candy. It was just how it worked. The Benavidez home was like a safe haven for lost souls that wanted to forget about their lives for the night and that was what Victoria Miller was currently doing._

_The newly turned eighteen year old girl was having the time of her life as she pushed all the thoughts about her no-good parents to the back of her mind along with the fact that she lost her only mother figure, her male best friend was in prison, and her female best friend left town with the decision to never come back - all within a couple of months._

_Victoria had been stressed out all week with thinking about her college future that was just around the corner while also making sure Felipe Reyes, her only father figure, was eating right and wasn't drinking all the time. The Miller girl had originally disagreed about coming to this party but she finally came after Angel, her incarcerated best friend's brother and someone she has recently gotten close to, along with his friend; Johnny "Coco" Cruz, dragged her away from the butcher shop. Victoria was honestly really glad that they had as she was finally having fun for the first time since all the shit in their lives went to hell._

_It took a couple of hours into the party, but Victoria was finally feeling like a normal girl once she had lost her bodyguards; Angel and Coco, and had started drinking before she found a guy to help her forget about all the bad thoughts. She had started chatting up the heavily tattooed guy for a few minutes before she found herself pressed up against Jesse Ortiz's chest while they danced together in the middle of the makeshift dance floor with the smell of weed flowing through the air._

_Victoria could feel Jesse's rough lips moving up and down her exposed neck and chest like a hungry animal wanting to eat it's prey and Victoria couldn't care less that the small time drug dealer was wrapped around her. She just felt like this was the first time in a long time that she wasn't feeling the usual heartache of losing people, so she was going to savor the feeling as long as she could as she let the tequila from her red solo cup enter her system._

_The Miller girl wrapped her arms around the twenty-something-year-old's neck as she closed her hazel eyes and moved her hips to the sound of the music while she listened to the dirty whispers that were coming from Jesse's mouth while she also uttered her own teasing. Victoria knew she deserved to have a little fun, so she drug the local dealer on as she racked her nails down his chest while his hands were pressed against her ass and on her bare stomach as she hoped and prayed that she would be under his body soon to help her forget everything that has happened in the last couple of months._

_"Let's get out of here, mami," the tattooed Ortiz finally whispered into Victoria's ear before he bit down on the soft skin once the sexual tension was just too much to handle. Once the brunette girl nodded her head in agreement, Jesse silently wrapped his arm around Victoria's waist and pulled her into his chest before he began to maneuver their way through the sweaty bodies to finally have his way with the untouchable girl._

_Jesse had tried to get close to Victoria in the past as he had seen her around the local butcher shop and high school but it just never planned out for him since she always has her bodyguards with her. The Ortiz man had never made his move on the brunette girl as he knew Angel Reyes and Coco Cruz from the Mayans were always watching her and that would cause problems with his weed pushing business if he was to get on the wrong side of the motorcycle club. Thankfully for Jesse, he hadn't seen the two bodyguards all night, so he knew he needed to swoop in while he has the chance._

_However, before Victoria and Jesse could walk out of the front door of the party house and mutually use the other's bodies for the night, they were soon stopped when there was a shout for Jesse over the loud music. The Miller girl instantly turned around along with the tattooed guy next to her before she noticed Coco walking up to them. Victoria slightly deflated at the arrival of her friend as she thought and hoped he would have left with Angel._

_The young Mayans member, who had secretly been keeping an eye on the Miller girl by the kitchen, gave Victoria a pointed look as he nodded his head towards the side door towards their right before he turned his attention on the drug dealer in front of him and began to speak to him in Spanish with anger rising in his voice. Coco had grown to care about Victoria like a sister over the last couple of months that Angel had been bringing her around so he was definitely pissed to find the dumbass that is Jesse Ortiz trying to sneak her out._

_Victoria let out a silent sigh as she figured Coco was here to distract Jesse so she could go find Angel. This was usually how it went when she was around guys - especially lately with the shit that happens around them. It used to be Ezekiel who would keep the guys at bay if he didn't approve of them but with Angel it was different._

_Victoria and Angel had gotten a lot closer after the grief had settled in their lives over their losses. They have a better friendship now that Angel doesn't just treat her as his little brother's childhood friend, who he used to tease. Instead, he treats Victoria like an equal, like his own friend. But the difference between Ezekiel and Angel was that the older brother was always so protective and worried over her. Victoria understood why, though, as they have lost a lot lately, so she didn't really mind._

_The Miller girl gave Jesse a short kiss on the lips as she knew Coco would drag her out if she didn't go now and told him, "I'll be right back," before she silently walked away from the older boys and headed straight towards the side door so she could assure Angel that she's fine before going back to the party. However, unknown to Victoria, she would never make her way back into the party house that night._

_"Hey," Victoria whispered while she wrapped her arms around her waist from the cool air from the night sky once she walked out onto the silent patio before she slowly walked towards Angel, who was resting against his Harley Davidson with a cigarette hanging from his lips. The Miller girl could instantly feel that this wasn't just one of Angel's usual check-ups. There was this look on Angel's face that reminded Victoria of the one that she has been sporting these last couple of months. It was filled with sadness and unshed tears._

_The older Reyes didn't say anything like Victoria thought he would - which immediately worried her. Angel only threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it before he walked directly in front of the Miller girl. He then took off his leather kutte and held it in one hand before he took off his black zip-up jacket and placed it over the shivering girl's shoulders._

_"Thanks," Victoria mumbled as she placed her arms through the long holes and pulled the jacket to her chest before she followed after Angel towards his motorcycle. The Miller girl watched the older Reyes in silence for a moment before she couldn't help but ask as she was starting to worry about him, "are you okay, Ange?" This was so unlike him - especially at a party filled with girls and alcohol. The few times that she would go to a party with Angel and Coco, he was always laughing and enjoying himself, so Victoria knew something was definitely up with him._

_Angel, once again, didn't answer back to the younger girl. He instead quietly placed his kutte back onto his shoulders before he pulled out two helmets from the compartment on his motorcycle. "Let's go for a ride," Angel finally uttered in a small mumble before he straddled his motorcycle and held out the helmet to Victoria._

_The Miller girl bit down on her bottom lip as she watched Angel's facial expressions for a moment before she decided to humor him as she knew Angel would tell her what's wrong when he's ready. So, Victoria took the couple of steps to the older Reyes' stretched out hand and went to grab the matte black helmet that Angel always had for her. However, before Victoria could put the helmet onto her head, Angel grabbed ahold of her wrist and pulled her towards him so they were chest to chest before he gently settled the safety item on her head. The quiet Angel then stared into Victoria's hazel eyes for a few seconds before he buckled up the helmet._

_Victoria gave the silent Angel a small, thankful smile before she placed her hands onto the older Reyes' shoulders and pulled herself onto the large motorcycle like she was used to doing these last couple of months. The Miller girl then wrapped her arms tightly around Angel's waist once she felt the loud motor start up before she watched as they drove away from the Benavidez house. Victoria honestly loved when Angel would take her for a ride as it felt like everything in the world just drifted away._

_The two best friends rode around their abnormally silent hometown and down the long highways that overlooked the mountains for over fifteen minutes as they both just enjoyed the other's company. Angel was more lost in his thoughts as they rode around while Victoria was just enjoying all the flash of colors that they passed while she had her cheek lying against Angel's leather kutte. It was moments like this that the twenty-two year old and the eighteen-year-old savored. It was their form of comforting each other from their ethic lives that revolve around the club, school, the butcher shop, and the stress from losing Marisol and Ezekiel._

_But sadly, the calmness that settled between the two close friends had to come to an end when Angel slowly pulled his motorcycle in front of the old brick house that belonged to the Miller family. Angel and Victoria would never admit to each other, but they always hated this part during their rides together. It was like when they are together on the open road that they could conquer the world but once they stopped, all the pain and worry comes back._

_Victoria sat against Angel's back for a minute or two in the middle of her driveway as she absorbed his comfort that she didn't know she needed before she had to force herself to get off of the motorcycle with a light sigh. The Miller girl then took the helmet off and placed it into the storage compartment on the Harley before she faced the unnaturally silent Angel. Victoria knew that he was still dealing with something in his head, so she gave Angel a small smile before she questioned, "you wanna come in from a quick drink?" She knew if she just flat out asked Angel what was wrong then he would just shut her out as he rarely liked to show his emotions to anyone other than her._

_The older Reyes had just sat on his motorcycle as he enjoyed the feeling of Victoria against him while he smoked another cigarette but when he felt Victoria leave, he felt the tension enter his body again. Angel waited until he finished his cigarette before he turned his head to face the brunette girl with a raised eyebrow and mumbled, "where's the 'rents?"_

_Victoria rolled her hazel eyes as she hugged Angel's black jacket closely to her cold body at the question of her nonexistent parents before she answered with an emotionless voice, "they're gone for the next six months." She carelessly shrugged her shoulders before she explained, "they're locked up in county." Victoria honestly was used to her parents never being home. Victoria had spent more time at the Reyes house instead of her own in the last year than her whole childhood. So, the Miller girl didn't let it bother her. She actually feels revealed whenever she knows that her parents won't be home as the old house holds enough trauma for one life time._

_Angel silently nodded his head when he knew her parents weren't home before he parked his bike. John and Stacey Miller were never really a fan of him since he's in a motorcycle club but that never stopped Angel before - especially when it comes to their daughter, the only person he cared about - besides his club and his father. Angel usually would have taken Victoria to his small house down the road as he knew she hated staying here but he didn't need the MC bothering him right now when he just wanted to spend time with Victoria, so he grabbed his keys to his motorcycle before he silently trailed behind Victoria as she headed into her home._

_"Make yourself comfortable," Victoria told Angel as she tossed her house keys onto the hallway table and took off her sneakers before she silently headed towards the kitchen and went directly to the cabinet that held her father's alcohol stash. The Miller girl looked around the different bottles before she found the one that she was looking for; tequila. It was hers and Angel's go to when they wanted to forget about everything and she knew that was exactly what Angel needed right now with how he's been acting tonight._

_Once Victoria had the full bottle of tequila in her hand, she made her way into the living room, where she found her best friend lounging on the couch while an old episode of The Simpsons from the earlier 90's played on her parents' old TV. The Miller girl couldn't help but release a small chuckle at the tattooed biker watching the cartoon show as she leaned against the wall that connects the living room and the kitchen._

_The silent Angel immediately lifted his brown eyes towards the left of the living room and away from the yellow characters on the TV screen once he heard the familiar sound of Victoria's soft laughter._ _"¿De qué te ríes, niñita?" [What are you laughing at, little girl?] The older Reyes wondered as he lifted an amused eyebrow at his best friend. Even though Angel wasn't feeling like himself tonight, the sound coming from Victoria could always put a small smile on his face as the sound has rarely came out of her in these last couple of months._

_Victoria instantly rolled her hazel eyes when Angel spoke before she quietly walked towards the run-down couch and slumped her body next to the older Reyes. "You know I hate when you speak to me in Spanish when you know I can't understand a damn thing," the Miller girl muttered as she opened up the new bottle of tequila and took a big sip before she passed it over to the smirking Angel. This was how hers and Angel's friendship went. He would always tease her with his native tongue or he would just mess her for no reason. It used to bother Victoria when she was younger but now it was sort of comforting._

_The older Reyes pulled Victoria into his chest with one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he got comfortable on the scratchy couch and took a gulp of the tequila before he handed it back. "You know you love it," Angel muttered with a throaty chuckle and placed a friendly kiss on the top of Victoria's brunette hair before he moved his brown eyes back to the TV screen and continued to watch the episode of The Simpsons that he had probably watched at least a dozen of times._

_Victoria shook in her head with a small smile shining across her lips before she took another drink from the bottle. She always liked these moments with Angel when he was carefree. However, Victoria knew that he was deflecting his emotions, so she just relaxed against his arm in silence while they continued to pass the bottle around and watched the cartoon show as she knew Angel would open up to her when he was ready._

_It took a full episode and a half of The Simpsons and a shared bottle of tequila before the young Reyes man finally showed his true emotions and feelings as he pulled away from the safety of Victoria's warm touch and placed his head into his hands that were resting on top of his jean-covered knees. Angel then released a heavy and shaky sigh before he confessed in a whisper about what has been bothering him all night long, "I miss mama and Ezekiel."_

_Victoria's hand immediately went to Angel's leather kutte at her friend's confession while her heart began to squeeze with the familiar ache that she has been experiencing since everything went to shit. "Oh, Ange, I miss them too," the Miller girl whispered as she rubbed her hand up and down Angel's back as she tried to offer him some sort of comfort. Victoria knew it wasn't much but it is usually what works for them. She and Angel would have days like this and the only thing that allowed them to heal was to talk and be with each other until they felt okay to continue living their lives._

_"Why did she have to leave?" Angel questioned as he continued to hold his head in his hands as he didn't want Victoria to see the tears flowing down his brown eyes. "She was supposed to come home to us," the older Reyes mumbled as that horrible day began to replay over and over in his mind. Angel usually didn't have days like this as much as he did during the first month but something just snapped while he was the party and all he wanted to do was to be with Victoria and no one else. He loves Coco like a brother, but the only person that really understands what he's going through is the girl next to him._

_Victoria released a shaky breath as she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes that wasn't rubbing Angel's back before she uttered softly, "I wish I knew, Angel. I wish there was someway to bring her back. I really do." Marisol Reyes was an angel sent from above. She was the only woman in Victoria's life that actually loved and cared about her. Victoria had spent days and days wide awake asking the same questions that were running through Angel's mind right now. She may not feel her death in the same extent as Angel since he was Marisol's real child, but it still hurt her all the same._

_"And it's all my fucking fault that EZ is locked up in prison instead of here," Angel ranted as he dragged his hand up to his hair and pushed it out of his eyes with a loud huff. The older Reyes shook his head as he mumbled, "I should have never given him that gun. I should have known that he was lying to me!" Angel then quickly stood up from the couch and began to pace as he could feel the guilt and anger enter his chest before he continued to shout, mostly to himself, "he didn't need fucking protection! I could have done that myself with the club!"_

_The Miller girl quickly stood up from the couch once she realized what Angel was trying to do like he always does; take the blame. It was something that he had started doing since he never expressed his emotions the right way after the funeral and the sentencing. Felipe never really talked or tried to help Angel after their lost, so Victoria would always try her best. "Hey, hey, hey," Victoria whispered as she cautiously walked up to the pacing and mumbling Angel, "you can't do that to yourself." The Miller girl gently placed her hand onto Angel's lower arm as she tried to talk him out of this funk, "you couldn't have known what EZ was going to do. You thought you were keeping your little brother safe and you can't blame yourself for that, Ange."_

_Once Victoria felt Angel calm down slightly at her touch, she walked in front of the tall biker and wrapped her arms around his waist before she laid her head onto his lower chest. "EZ doesn't blame you either, Angel," the Miller girl continued as she tried to help her best friend, "I talk to him every week and he tells me every time that he loves you. So, you can't keep building up this guilt when it wasn't your fault. I know it sucks hearing this, but things like this just happens." Victoria looked up into Angel's brown eyes that were already watching her before she uttered with a sad smile, "you did all you could, Ange."_

_The older Reyes silently nodded his head as he stared down at the brunette girl before he cradled her head with his right hand and pushed it into his chest as he just needed to hold Victoria close. Angel knew she was right but he would never admit it. Instead, he just wrapped the girl that he had recently called his best friend in his arms as he breathed in her scent that reminded him of the feeling of home. Angel felt like the only person that kept him sane these days was Victoria as she knew just what to say to pull him from his bad moods._

_The two young adults continued to hold each other for a few minutes as they stood in the middle of the old Miller house with the sound of another episode of The Simpsons in the background as they absorbed each other's comfort like they usually would when they would feel down like this. However, they both realized that this time was different, but not in that exact moment, when Angel whispered, "Tori."_

_Victoria slowly lifted her head up from Angel's chest at the nickname that he would sometimes call her before she looked into his now determined brown eyes. The Miller girl didn't understand what had changed in the last couple of minutes of silence, so she whispered nervously, "what's wrong?" However, Angel didn't give her a response. Instead, the young Mayans member slowly lifted his right hand to Victoria's cheek and gently rubbed her soft skin while he stared directly into her hazel eyes before Angel bent down and placed a soft and cautious kiss onto Victoria's lips._

_The Miller girl's eyes instantly fluttered shut at the soft touch and kissed Angel back for a few seconds before she quickly pulled away once she realized what was happening. Victoria silently brought her point finger to her lips as she stared into Angel's brown eyes with her own hazel ones widened before she voiced her confusion, "what are you doing, Angel?" Victoria honestly was so lost right now and it wasn't because of the alcohol that was slowly leaving her system. She never even thought Angel saw her in anyway that wasn't just his best friend, so she didn't know what to think._

_Angel didn't phase from the small rejection from Victoria. He kept his hand right on her cheek as he rubbed Victoria's soft skin before Angel exclaimed in a quiet voice, "you're my best friend, Tori. You are the only one I can trust - besides Coco." The older Reyes then let out a small chuckle before he continued, "I honestly don't have a damn clue what I'm doing anymore but you, hermosa, makes all of the bad shit just go away." Angel leaned down and placed another kiss onto Victoria's lips before he whispered against her mouth as he tried to convince her that this was a good idea, "you make me feel whole, hermosa, and I just want to feel anything but this pain and guilt."_

_A small, sad sigh escaped Victoria's mouth at Angel's explanation as she knew that she felt exactly the same. "I know, Ange," the Miller girl whispered as she tightly wrapped her arms around the older boy's neck before she placed a soft kiss onto his exposed collarbone. "I would have never gotten out of bed after mama's death, Emily leaving, and EZ in prison without you," Victoria confessed as she breathed in Angel's comforting scent._

_The Miller girl knew that this could all go one of two ways for them. It could be fine and they would still be best friends in the morning or this could fuck up the only friendship that she cares about along with the family that has cared for her since she was six. However as Angel held her in his arms and gave her the time to think, Victoria thought back to the party and how she was so willing to sleep with the local small time drug dealer to forget about all the pain that she and Angel both share. Victoria knew it would be safer to get rid of the pain with someone that not only cared about her but also understood what she's feeling, so she finally decided to give in._

_"I love you, Ange. You're my best friend," Victoria uttered quietly as she looked back up into his brown eyes. She placed a couple of soft kisses on his lips before she continued, "and I trust you with my life." Victoria tightened her arms around the older Reyes' neck as she pushed herself closer until there was barely any room between them before she murmured with a heavy breath, "you always make me feel safe and help me forget about all the shit that happens around us." Victoria then placed another but deeper kiss onto Angel's lips before she begged, "let me be that for you too. Let me help you feel better."_

_Angel instantly released a breath that he didn't know he was holding in and whispered against Victoria's lips, "you already have, hermosa," before he pressed his lips against hers for a gentle kiss. It, at first, was slow as the best friends tested the waters before the small makeout session in the middle of the silent house became more and more intense as they got lost into each other. It only took a couple of minutes of the best friends kissing and forgetting the world before Angel bent down and wrapped the Miller girl's legs around his waist. Angel then carried Victoria down the hallway as she placed kisses along his neck until he came to a stop at the familiar bedroom that he had been in a couple of times when they would stay over in the Miller house._

_The young Mayan softly placed his best friend down onto the turquoise blanket and slid his kutte off of his shoulders before he placed his knees onto the small bed and stared down at Victoria. "You look so gorgeous," Angel whispered before he slowly began to pull his jacket away from Victoria's body along with her small tank top. Angel then placed opened mouth kisses across Victoria's collarbone as he whispered, "I'll always keep you safe."_

_Victoria knew Angel was going extremely slow as he wanted to make sure that she wanted to do this and she loved him for that. But he was making her quite frustrated with his soft movements, so Victoria grabbed the bottom of Angel's grey v-neck and swiftly pulled it away from his body before she pulled him into a needy kiss as she tightly wrapped her legs around his waist. "No more talking," Victoria heavy breathed out as her fingers roamed Angel's muscular back, "I need you now, Angel."_

_The older Reyes released a light chuckle against Victoria's neck and nipped on her skin before he whispered teasingly, "someone's eager." Angel then quickly flicked open her jeans and pulled them down Victoria's legs as he couldn't hold in the need for her any longer despite his teasing. Angel leaned back on his heels as he also began to unbutton his jeans while he watched as Victoria ripped off her nude colored bra from her chest and slid out of her matching panties._

_"M_ _e estas volviendo loca, hermosa," [you are driving me insane, beautiful] Angel whispered as he crawled up Victoria's body and settled himself between her warm thighs. Angel then brought his best friend into another heated kiss as he let Victoria slid his black boxers down his waist until they were both bare in front of each other. The older Reyes hooked Victoria's left leg up his side as he teased her slit while he stared directly into her hazel eyes before he let out a heavy groan when he felt himself slide between her slick lips._

_"Oh, Angel," the Miller girl moaned out as she felt her best friend stretch out her insides from his large size before she hooked both of her legs around Angel's waist and her arms around his shoulders to feel him even deeper. Victoria let out a content sigh when she felt Angel move back and forth inside of her as he built them both to their releases. The Miller girl couldn't remember the last time that she felt this good. Yeah, she's has had hookups during high school but this felt so different. Angel is her best friend, so it felt so much more imitate - which made everything else just fade to black._

_The two best friends spent the next thirty or so minutes in each other's arms while they roamed across the small bed as they both just forgot about the outside world while they got high off of the other. Victoria and Angel just couldn't get enough of each other as it helped with all the pain that they had been feeling in these last couple of months from all the people that they had lost. But sadly, the exhaustion was finally taking its tole on the best friends, so they finally came to a stop with Victoria's head resting against Angel's bare chest and a blanket thrown over them as tired sighs and pleased smiles showed across their faces._

_"Thank you, princesa," Angel whispered after a few minutes of content silence had passed between them before he placed a soft kiss on top of Victoria's messy brunette hair. The young Mayan actually felt so much better, emotionally and physically, after taking this next step with his best friend. Yeah, Angel knew that this could all blow up in his face but he just knew that Victoria could help ease the pain for him and that he obviously did the same for her._

_"Where are we supposed to go from here, Angel?" Victoria wondered as she moved her hazel eyes up to the Reyes' brown ones that were already watching her. The Miller girl couldn't help but worry about what this would mean for their friendship. It felt so damn good to be with Angel this way but she didn't want half an hour of fun to ruin the close friendship they have. Angel is one of the most important people in her life and it would just absolutely crush her if things turned out badly between them._

_Angel slowly and gently ran his fingertips through Victoria's brown hair as he thought for a moment before he uttered with complete confidence, "it can be whatever we want it to be." The older Reyes brought his hand to Victoria's chin when he could feel fear coming from her before he promised softly, "nothing is going to change between us." Angel shrugged his shoulders as he tried to assure her, "if you think it'll be awkward between us if we continue messing around then we can stop or if you want to do this when we are feeling shitty then we can do that too." Angel placed a soft kiss onto Victoria's lips before he continued, "you're my best friend, Tori, and I just want to make sure you're happy so it's your choice."_

_Victoria silently nodded her head as she absorbed Angel's words before she brought her hand to his cheek and pulled him into another kiss. "We'll just be there for each other and nothing has to change?" The Miller girl questioned as she stared into Angel's brown eyes as she just needed assurance that everything would be okay between them. The sex was amazing but Victoria wouldn't let that ruin the friendship that they had. If she had to, she would call quits on the whole thing as she wasn't willing to lose the one person that keeps her sane in Santo Padre._

_"Exactly," Angel whispered against Victoria's lips with a cheeky grin plastered across his face as he softly ran his hand down the lower part of the Miller girl's back. "We'll always be best friends but this is just when we need that extra comfort during those rough days that sneak up on us," the older Reyes explained as he held the brunette girl tightly in his arms._

_Victoria released a breath that she didn't know that she was holding in at Angel's assuring answer about their situation. She was glad that nothing would change. Victoria never really gave much thought about the whole friends-with-benefits type of relationship but she just felt that she and Angel could figure this all out. She had faith that they could still be best friends and have these moments of comfort with each other like Angel promised. "I trust you, Ange," Victoria whispered after a moment of silence and leaned in for a slow kiss as she agreed with this plan between them before she pulled away and rested her head back onto Angel's chest while she listened to his steady heartbeat._

_The Miller girl knew it was the right choice as they laid in her bed and Victoria didn't feel any awkward feelings with being with her naked best friend. It weirdly almost felt natural to her but it was just how she and Angel have always been around each other since they had became close friends. They only had to be in the other's presence to feel this calmness enter their chests and Victoria knew this set up was the perfect way for them to help comfort each other during rough times as there will always be one constant in their hectic lives and that will always be each other._


	4. Hello, Mr. Cartel Man

It was around the late side of twelve o'clock at night when Victoria finally found herself in a comfortable matching tan crop top, leggings, and a small zip-up jacket as she sat on her leather couch with a freshly opened bottle of red wine sitting in her lap. The Miller woman had spent at least three hours at the butcher shop with Pop after she helped him close down for the night. It was nice to spend some quiet time with the old man over a good meal but Victoria was so exhausted. She was just ready to go to sleep for a few hours before she has to be up at six in the morning for her next nursing shift at the hospital.

The worry that Victoria felt for the Reyes brothers, however, didn't exactly help her state of sleepiness. She hadn't heard anything from Ezekiel, Angel, or even Coco so the concern for her friends weren't helping the exhaustion at the moment. Victoria knew that sometimes runs went like this but this is Ezekiel's first one, so she was more on edge. However, Victoria knew she couldn't do anything about it until Angel called, so she decided, as she turned off her TV and headed towards the kitchen with the wine bottle, that she would attempt to sleep to turn off all her thoughts.

But thankfully for the Miller woman, just as she was putting the half drunken bottle of wine into her refrigerator, Victoria heard her cell phone begin to ring on her kitchen counter. Victoria didn't even think twice before she brought the device to her ear as she knew exactly who would be calling her this late on a work night.

No one immediately spoke through the phone like Victoria had hoped. Instead, there was this mixture of loud sounds like something heavy was being dragged around before the rough and smooth voice of Angel Reyes finally muttered through the Miller woman's cell phone, "hey, you're needed at the clubhouse."

Once Victoria realized that nothing was currently wrong as Angel would have mentioned it as soon as she answered, the Miller woman couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes at Angel's words. "Wow, you really are desperate, aren't you?" Victoria questioned with a wide smirk shining across her lips as she rested her hip against the kitchen island. The Miller woman knew that she should of known that Angel would be calling to remind her of their agreement at the Mayans' clubhouse for their 'alone' time.

Angel released a heavy chuckle at the brunette woman on the phone while he directed Gilly and Coco towards the pool table with the Miller nurse's client of the night before he focused back onto Victoria as he told her in a low and sensual voice, "usually, I would be for you, princesa." The older Reyes then grew serious as he explained why she was needed at the clubhouse, "Creeper needs your expertise right now."

Victoria's teasing attitude and voice was instantly wiped away as she soon as she heard the words leave her best friend's mouth before she swiftly went into, what Angel likes to call, 'nurse mode,' as her body straightened like a soldier and her brain solely focused on all the possibilities that could have happened on the run. 

"I'll be there in a few minutes," the Miller nurse quickly promised Angel before she ended the call without waiting for a response and placed her cell phone into her jacket pocket. Victoria then jogged towards the closet next to the front door and grabbed the large leather bag that held everything that she would need for her late night visit with the Mayans.

Once the Miller nurse had her kit ready for whatever she needed to heal on the tattooed biker, Victoria slipped on the closest pair of shoes - which happened to be a white pair of Vans, before she swiftly exited out of her brick house and headed straight towards her red Hyundai Accent like a ~~man~~  woman on a mission. Victoria always felt this rush when she would get these type of calls as she always gets to do something that she doesn't on a daily basis when taking care of children.

However, there was also this small tint of fear every time that she would get a call from Angel or Bishop. The club has always been like family to her since she started helping them two years ago, so Victoria cares a lot about each member. There was always this part of her that felt like she wouldn't be able to help once she reached the clubhouse. However, Victoria knew that was just worry speaking since the club would bring over the injured member directly to her house if it was life or death.

It was the deal that she has with the Mayans and their president. If they needed her help, then she would be called to the clubhouse but if it was too serious, then they would show up to her house. The only reason that they have that set up is because of the location of her house. It's basically in the middle of nowhere by the mountains, thanks to Angel, who had found her the place about two months into helping out the Mayans, so no one would ever know that the local motorcycle club knew her enough to come to her house - which kept her safe for the most part. There was only one instant when an enemy of the club had followed her home but that was quickly handled when Angel had shown up just in time.

It took Victoria a little less than ten minutes before she finally pulled into the driveway of the Mayans' clubhouse after the man from Charming, Chucky, had opened the gate for her. There was, thankfully, a short cut from her house to the clubhouse so it never took her too long to arrive. Once the Miller nurse turned off her car, she quickly grabbed her leather bag before she swiftly jogged towards the large wooden door of the clubhouse.

The first thing that Victoria noticed once she was inside of the familiar building was the few Mayans standing by the bar and she heard the sound of groaning coming from the right side of the clubhouse - where she figured Creeper was currently waiting for her. Victoria gave the passing Mayans a small smile like she usually does before she fast walked over to the groaning and moaning, so she could access the situation.

"Pequeño sanador," _[Little healer]_ the president of the Mayans exclaimed with a grin on his face once he noticed the woman walking towards his direction and the pool table. Bishop placed a small kiss onto Victoria's cheek before he placed his hand onto her lower back as he directed her towards his injured member as he praised, "thanks again for the house call. I really appreciate it."

Victoria playfully rolled her hazel eyes at the president's praises that she always got when she shows up before she told Bishop with a small smile, "oh, you know I love helping you guys out." The Miller woman then swiftly moved her gaze off of the president of the motorcycle club as soon as she heard a shout come from her nightly patient's mouth before she jogged up to the pool table, where Creeper was leaning his body against.

"Finally you're here," the tattooed Creeper mumbled once he noticed the brunette woman with a deep breath - which immediately caused him even more pain than telling Angel and Coco to shut the hell up. "You gotta fix this shit, doc," Creeper begged desperately as he felt like he was bleeding out.

The Miller nurse gave the Mayan member a polite smile like she does with all of her patients before she placed her bag onto the green pool table and began to access Creeper's injuries. Victoria first took notice of the blood oozing down the large hole in his neck before she lifted up his white tank top and noticed the same wound on the right side of his abdomen. 

Once Victoria knew the extent of the biker's injuries, she stood up straight and looked back towards Creeper. However, before she could tell him that he was going to be fine, she noticed Angel and Coco in the back holding at their throats with their eyes closed and tongues sticking out. The Miller nurse held in her eye roll as she knew that they wanted to play with Creeper. Victoria usually wouldn't when he's hurting, but Creeper's injures were a quick fix, so she decided to play along. "This is bad, Creep," the brunette woman mumbled as she shook her head with false sadness. She then shrugged her shoulders before she told him as she stared into Creeper's worried brown eyes, "I give it fifteen minutes before you croak."

"What!?" Creeper immediately shouted as his brown eyes grew as wide as saucers. The tattooed man quickly glanced around the room at his silent president and fellow members before he focused back onto the nurse with fear running through his body. "Please, Victoria, you gotta do something!" Creeper begged desperately, "I-I thought I was just exaggerating! I can't die here with these assholes!"

The clubhouse was silent for a few minutes as everyone watched Creeper freak out over his injuries before it was all interrupted when the culprits that are Angel Reyes and Coco Cruz busted out into laughter. "Puto coñoputo,"  _[Fucking pussy]_ the Cruz biker exclaimed as he slammed his hand down onto Creeper's sore shoulder with another laugh as he and Angel had been busting Creeper's balls ever since the run. 

"Thanks for making Creep piss his pants," the older Reyes told the giggling Miller woman with a wide smirk as he walked around the pool table and pulled her into a side hug. Angel then placed a quick kiss onto Victoria's temple before he and Coco continued with their laughter as they headed towards the bar.

"Sorry, Creep," the Miller nurse apologized with a small grin as she watched the annoyed, angry, and embarrassed look on the tattooed man's face. "Honestly, though, you'll be fine," Victoria promised as she gave Creeper the real truth about his wounds, "I just need to stitch them up for you and you'll be as good as new."

"You guys are fucking assholes, man," Creeper complained loudly as he glared over at his fellow club members, who were all laughing at him, before the tattooed biker slowly and painfully let go of the pool table and started to walk once the brunette nurse had began to lead him towards a fold up chair that was a few steps away.

"Hey, Gill, can you grab me a bottle of tequila and some towels," Victoria requested as glanced over to the bar while she ignored all of the jabs that were continued to be thrown at Creeper as she wanted to close the wounds as quickly as possible so they won't get infected. She knew they weren't that bad but Victoria didn't know what had caused them, so she knew it was for the best to get them closed up right away.

The Miller nurse threw up brown hair into a messy bun while she waited for her requested items as she got ready to work. Victoria then walked towards her bag on the pool table and dug around for a moment before she found what she needed. The brunette woman firstly snapped the light blue rubber gloves over her hands so she wouldn't get any blood on her before she grabbed the surgical needle and thread that would close Creeper's wounds.

"Here you go, doc," the Lopez biker uttered after about two minutes or so had passed by while he dragged his feet towards the brunette woman with two large black towels, that they always have in the back for nights like this, and the half drunken bottle of tequila, that Gilly had swiped from Coco. 

Victoria glanced up from her task of looping the thread through the needle and gave the larger man a bright smile and praised as she took the usual items that she would use from his hands, "thank you so much, Gill." The Miller woman then shot both Angel and Coco a playful glare before she joked, "at least someone helps around here." 

The Miller nurse instantly shook her head in amusement when the two best friends began to yell and shout as they tried to defend themselves but didn't say anything back as she walked over to the still pained Creeper. "Alright, let's get started," Victoria uttered, mostly to herself, as she sat down on the chair in front of her patient. The brunette woman placed all the items down on the small table beside them before she draped one of the towels over her thighs and used the other to wipe down the pouring blood. Victoria then opened up the bottle of tequila and poured it on the needle to sterilize it before she gently poured the alcohol down Creeper's neck.

Victoria gave Creeper an apologetic smile when she heard him begin to curse before she handed him the bottle of alcohol to drink as a peace offering. The Miller nurse then began to get to work as she slowly and steadily moved the needle and thread through the biker's skin as she closed up the wound. It took the experienced nurse about fifteen minutes to place the stitches on the jagged wound that ran from the bottom of Creeper's chin before it goes diagonal down his collarbone before she tied it off.

Once Victoria was sure that the stitches wouldn't fall apart, the Miller nurse pushed onto Creeper's chest so he was leaning against the chair before she pulled up his white tank top. The brunette woman then began the same process over again as she wiped off the pouring blood with the towel and poured the tequila on the wound before she began to stitch up the split skin on the tattooed biker's lower abdomen. This one, however, took a little bit longer than the first one since the slash on Creeper's stomach needed double the amount of stitches from how big it was.

"Alright," Victoria huffed out after a few minutes as she began to strip out of her bloody gloves before she gave Creeper a small smile and uttered, "see, good as new like I promised." The Miller nurse then headed back towards her bag on the pool table and grabbed a bottle of medication before she walked back to the now standing but wobbly biker. "These should help with the pain for the next few days," Victoria explained once she handed over the pills. 

"Thanks, doc," Creeper muttered with gratitude ringing throughout his rough voice before he shook the small bottle of pills in his hand with a small nod of his head as he showed that he would follow the brunette woman's suggestion for the pain. The injured biker then flipped off Angel and Coco, who were making baby sounds towards him before he slumped his body on the couch in the corner of the clubhouse with the bottle of tequila clutched in his hand.

"You boys are so childish," Victoria uttered to Angel and Coco with a shake of her head as she began to walk towards the bar to throw away the bloody and used gloves, where she saw them continuing to tease and mess with the hurting Creeper. It was usually how it goes when she has to play healer for the club. Angel and Coco, the trouble makers, would always make jokes about who was hurting except, of course, if it's Bishop then they keep their mouths shut.

"You know you love us, princesa," the grinning Angel Reyes exclaimed with a wink before he tossed his long arm over the Miller nurse's shoulder once she was also resting against the wooden bar. Angel then wrapped his arms lowly around Victoria's waist before he placed a kiss onto her irresistible lips.

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes at the grinning Angel and the smirking Coco before she glanced over to the silent prospect that is her best friend. The Miller woman then carelessly shrugged her shoulders before she commented as she knew it would get Angel all riled up, "eh, I think I love EZ more."

A playful growl instantly flew out of Angel's mouth as his brother's name came out of his girl's mouth, like Victoria thought would happen, before he possessively nipped onto the side of her neck. "You're mine, princesa," the older Reyes exclaimed before he pulled Victoria tightly into his chest.

"Do you guys ever stop with the lovey dovey shit?" The younger Reyes brother questioned with an eye roll as he watched in disgust as his closest friend in the world cuddled up against Angel's chest. Ezekiel was definitely not used to this. He had never known his brother to be all touchy with a girl that he didn't plan on fucking right away, so it made his skin crawl knowing that the girl is Victoria. 

"Get used to it, boy scout," Coco told the prospect before he took a large gulp from his Bud Light. The Cruz biker shook his head as he watched Angel attack Victoria's skin with his lips before he told the younger Reyes brother, "this is all they ever do when they're around each other." However, unlike the prospect, Coco is used to seeing his friends all over each other like most people in Santo Padre are since their sex friendship or whatever they want to call it has been going on for the last seven years.

Victoria gave her best friend an apologetic smile once she finally pulled herself from Angel's arms as she knew Ezekiel wasn't used to or even liked that she and Angel were this close along with the fact that they are sleeping with each other. The Miller woman knew she should try to cool it down until her best friend got used to it but it was just so damn hard to resist the older Reyes. She had tried so hard over the years, but Angel's smile always just pulls her back in.

The Miller woman walked towards her best friend and squeezed Ezekiel's arm as she promised quietly while Coco, Angel, and Gilly joked around with each other, "you'll always be my favorite Reyes." Victoria shot her best friend a wink before she jokingly whispered, "just don't tell Angel." The two best friends then let out a small laugh with each other before the Miller nurse headed back towards the pool table so she could pack away her medical supplies. 

However, when Victoria had everything secure in her bag and began to walk back towards the guys, she heard the distinct sound of a motorcycle pulling into the lot along with a loud vehicle that sounded like a large SUV. The Miller woman glanced at the four bikers with a raised eyebrow before she curiously wondered, "were you guys expecting anyone else tonight?" It confused Victoria at the arrival of someone as the club usually doesn't hold any parties when they know that she's coming over to heal their wounds so one would bother them.

"Shit," the older Reyes instantly cursed once he watched Bishop walk out of Templo with Riz and Tranq before heading to the front of the clubhouse as he realized who was here.  _Fucking cartel,_ Angel thought,  _they weren't supposed to be here until the morning._ This was the worse outcome that could happen right now with Victoria in the clubhouse. Angel never wanted Victoria to be around any of the club's problems and the Galindo cartel was the biggest of them all, so the older Reyes quickly grabbed ahold of Victoria's hand and pulled her closely towards him before he whispered into her ear, "don't leave my side, hermosa." Angel knew he couldn't sneak Victoria out of the clubhouse in time, so he knew this would have to do as he hoped the cartel didn't start shit in front of her and put her in any danger.

Victoria glanced up to Angel's tense face in confusion as she didn't understand what could cause the older Reyes to turn this way but she knew Angel must have had a reason, so she stayed quiet as the Mayans slowly walked towards the main part of the clubhouse before the door was instantly thrown open. The Miller woman only recognized one of the men that walked in and that was Marcus Alvarez or Padrino. Victoria had met Marcus on quite a few occasions and he was always friendly with her so Victoria knew that wasn't the cause for Angel's distress - which leaves the two unknown men. 

"Come on," Angel whispered into Victoria's ear once he noticed that the cartel was focused on Bishop and Marcus. He figured this would be his only chance of getting Victoria out of here before Miguel started to explode on the club for losing his drugs and dresses during their run tonight. Angel knew how ruthless the Galindo cartel can be from watching their torture sessions and that was the last thing he wanted Victoria to experience right now, so he slowly and quietly slid passed Ezekiel and Coco to make it to the unoccupied door of the clubhouse.

However, before Angel could finally sneak Victoria out of the clubhouse and away from the club's problems, the leader of the Galindo cartel finally noticed the unknown person standing in the room. Miguel glanced between the cousins; Marcus and Bishop, with annoyance in his dark eyes before he asked, "who's this?" The Galindo man shook his head before he uttered through his tight jaw, "I thought this was a club matter. I don't like my business being out in the open like this and you know that, Bishop."

The aforementioned president of the Mayans silently released a tense sigh as he knew Miguel was going to make this difficult and he was mentally kicking himself for not getting the nurse out before the cartel showed up. Bishop, like the rest of the club, didn't want Victoria anywhere near the cartel but he knew he couldn't spook Miguel so he moved around his members until he was standing beside Angel and the Miller woman before he explained to Miguel, "this is Victoria Miller. She's our resident nurse for our war wounds." Bishop then slightly squeezed the woman's shoulder to keep her calm before he pointed towards his cousin and spoke, "Victoria, you already know el Padrino."

The president of the Oakland charter gave the familiar woman a warm smile when his cousin paused before he uttered with a small nod of his head, "it's good to see you again, Victoria." The Alvarez man had always liked the brunette woman since he met her a few years ago and knew that she is trustworthy, so he had to remind himself to pass that message to Miguel as he didn't want the cartel bothering the nurse when she had nothing to do with any of the club's business. 

The Miller woman felt herself relax by a little bit in Angel's tense arms when the Oakland president greeted her as Marcus was always so calm - which helped with the feeling of panic that she was feeling right now with the nicely dressed men that obviously meant business. Victoria knew she probably should keep quiet by how protective Angel is being but the nurse didn't want to be disrespectful to el Padrino, so she gave the president a small smile and greeted back, "it's nice to see you too, Marcus."

The president of the Santo Padre charter continued where his introductions had stopped as he pointed towards the man in the light grey suit before he told Victoria, "and this is Miguel Galindo." Bishop then paused for a moment as he tried to think of how to word things before he murmured, "we are working together... on a partnership." 

 _Oh shit,_ Victoria instantly thought once she heard the man's name come from Bishop's mouth and immediately found Angel's hand before she squeezed it as she tried to keep her nerves in. She remembered Angel telling her about the Galindo cartel a few months ago when the older Reyes was compressing his issues to her in bed. Victoria knew this Miguel person was extremely dangerous and the only thing that she wanted was to get the hell out of here already. 

The leader of the Galindo cartel took a couple of steps around the motorcycle club members until he was standing in front of the brunette woman before he held out his hand and uttered smoothly, "it's lovely to meet you, hermosa." Miguel twitched his head as he watched Victoria while he shook her hand before he murmured, "you have a very familiar face." The Galindo man then glanced over to the protective Reyes standing closely to Victoria and the younger brother tensely watching him before Miguel wondered, "do you know my wife?" Miguel let out a low chuckle before he commented with a sly smirk, "I mean, your best friend, Ezekiel, over there does."

Victoria felt her tense figure loosen slightly as she realized who is married to the man in the front of her. "Emily," the Miller woman mumbled in surprise. Victoria honestly would have never guessed that her old high school friend who used to be with her best male friend is married to the dangerous cartel leader. "Wow. I haven't seen her in years," Victoria told the awaiting Miguel. The nurse felt so imitated by the man in front of her that she felt like she was going to start word vomiting. It also didn't really help when the man next Miguel was staring intensely at her.

"Well, I'll be sure to let Emily know that she has someone in town that would like to meet up," Miguel told the brunette woman with a slight smile. The cartel leader then took back his previous spot as he introduced his head of security to the Miller woman, "I would like you to meet Nestor Oceteva." Miguel looked at the room filled with the tense bikers with a large grin and exclaimed with a clap of his hands, "now we all know each other." He then turned his attention onto Bishop with an emotionless expression before he commanded, "now let's talk about the Nevada run."

While the president of the Santo Padre charter began to run through everything that happened tonight on the run with the Galindo cartel, Angel placed his lips next to Victoria's ear and whispered, "how about you head home, princesa?" The older Reyes titled the Miller woman's face with her chin before he promised, "I'll come by once I'm finished here." Angel didn't like having the feared cartel anywhere near Victoria and he knew this was the chance she needed to escape since Miguel was more focused on finding his missing drugs right now.

Victoria quickly nodded her head in agreement as she didn't need to be told twice. This was basically her first time interacting with someone that works with the Mayans, so her emotions were all over the place as she didn't know how she was supposed to act in front of the cartel, so she was so pleased that she finally gets to leave the tense clubhouse. "I'll see you later," Victoria promised to Angel in a small whisper before she silently walked over to her best friend and squeezed Ezekiel's arm to let him know that she was okay - despite meeting the head of one the most dangerous cartels.

The Miller nurse then silently walked over to her bag that she had left on the pool table and grabbed it before she made her way over to the resting Creeper. Victoria bent down until she was eye level with the tattooed biker before she whispered, "hey, give me a call if the meds aren't helping, alright?" The brunette woman couldn't help but still want to help make sure her patient wasn't hurting too badly - despite being in the same room as the devil. It was just who she is. 

Once Victoria saw Creeper nod his head in agreement, she squeezed his knee before the Miller woman silently walked towards the entrance of the clubhouse. However, before Victoria could finally escape, she was soon stopped when a warm hand gripped her wrist. The Miller woman almost let out a frightened gasp as she thought someone of the cartel had grabbed her but instantly relaxed once she met Angel's soft and worried brown eyes.

The older Reyes gently ran his fingers down Victoria's cheek as he stared directly into her hazel eyes before he pulled her into a passionate kiss. "Be careful and don't let anyone in the house," the biker whispered against the Miller woman's mouth as he squeezed her waist. Angel felt guilty for bringing Victoria here tonight or any other night as he knew something could happen to her now that the cartel knows that she's close to the MC. It would kill him if something were to happen to Victoria, so Angel wanted to keep her as protected as he could until the Los Olvidados' plan was finished and they finally could get rid of the Galindo cartel for good. 

Victoria nodded her head in agreement as she silently promised Angel that she would be safe before she pulled him into another passionate kiss as she wanted all her fears to be washed away. The Miller woman then quickly turned around and opened the door to the clubhouse. However, before she could walk away, Victoria felt eyes on her so she glanced behind her and noticed two pairs of eyes on her while everyone else began to move further through the clubhouse. One pair of eyes belonged to Angel, who she is used to watching her when she leaves but the other shocked her as she noticed the man that she had briefly been introduced to, Nestor Oceteva, watching her every move. 

Victoria couldn't help but furrow her brows as she stared right back at the man with the double braids and the two guns holstered on his body. The Miller woman had felt this strange feeling around Nestor ever since she had noticed him walk into the clubhouse along with Marcus and Miguel. However, Victoria decided to not look too much into this weird feeling in her chest as she just figured it was because Nestor works with the dangerous Galindo cartel along with how nervous Angel is currently being around them. 

The Miller woman knew these men were not someone you wanted to fuck with from the small pieces of information that Angel had told her about, so Victoria shook off Nestor's gaze and quickly walked out of the clubhouse with her nursing bag in hand. Victoria didn't want anything to do with the cartel or any of the Mayan's problems as she knew it was dangerous for her, especially because of relationship with motorcycle club, so Victoria prayed as she made sure she wasn't being followed to her car that she wouldn't have to meet them ever again. 

* * *

It was about two in the morning when the sleeping Victoria Miller heard the sound of movements through her supposedly empty house - which had instantly woken her up. The brunette woman was still on edge from her first meeting with the Galindo cartel, so Victoria slowly moved the dark blue blanket from her body before she grabbed the handgun that was resting on her bedside table. The Miller woman then slowly tiptoed out of her bedroom and into the dark hallway until she came to a stop at the edge of the living room. 

The spacious room in the Miller house was pitch black dark so Victoria couldn't see a single thing but she could see a dark shadow standing with their back towards her while they leaned down in front of her small alcohol cabinet that was resting against the far wall. Victoria knew she couldn't take the chance for the unknown person to notice her, so as she quietly as she could, cocked back the gun and rose it in the air encase the person tried to attack her as she would rather be ready then unprepared. 

However, luckily for the two people in the house, once the unknown person poured him a glass of tequila, he reached around and flipped on the small lamp - which instantly caused Victoria to notice the Mayans kutte and the familiar tattoos going down his arms that she had traced millions of times over the years. "Jesus Christ," the Miller woman gaped as she felt like her heart was going to pound its way out of her chest once she realized who was standing in her house, "I could have shot you, Ange."

The sound of his name being spoken out in the silent house instantly caused Angel to turn around, where he spotted the shaken woman with the deadly weapon in her grasp. Angel let out a low sigh and placed his glass of alcohol down at the sight in front of him before he swiftly crossed the room in three long strides. "Hey," the Reyes man gently whispered as he carefully pried the gun out of Victoria's hand before he placed it onto the side table. Angel then grabbed the side of Victoria's face in a gentle grasp and rubbed the pad of his thumb across her soft skin as he connected his worried brown eyes with her hazel ones.

Angel could tell that the meeting with the cartel had spooked the brunette woman by her frightened and tense figure and the Mayan hated himself for that. He always hated seeing Victoria like this when she is such a strong woman along with the fact that it's her involvement with him that caused this fear. "You don't gotta worry about anything, alright, princesa? I always got you," Angel mumbled before he placed his lips onto Victoria's forehead while he held her closely.

Victoria didn't realize how frightened she was until she had swiftly wrapped her arms around Angel's waist and breathed in his warm scent. The Miller woman had been around the club for two plus years but this time with coming face to face with someone who has been a pain in the ass for Angel and the stories that she had heard via the news about the Galindo cartel frightened her. Yeah, she has dealt with an enemy of the club before when they had followed her home, but this time felt different. This wasn't just like some small time gang like Dogwood. This was huge and Victoria feared that someone she loved like the club would be _caught in the middle_.

"Hey," Angel uttered softly as he titled Victoria's head up by her chin so he could look into her eyes once more. "Stop worrying, princesa," the Reyes man begged as he could see and feel the turmoil that Victoria was going through right now. "This is on the club," Angel stated before he promised, "you won't have to worry about Galindo or his lapdog in braids ever again." Angel knew without a doubt that he was going to keep Victoria as sheltered away from the cartel as best as he could. He didn't care if someone in the club got injured as they could always go to the doctor in the tunnels, Angel wasn't going to drag her in anymore of their shit. 

Victoria silently nodded her head as she gave Angel a small smile before she whispered, "I know." In reality, though, the Miller woman felt something in her chest that told her that she would, in fact, will be seeing more of the cartel. They know who she is now and that she knows both presidents in the Mayans along with the fact that the head of the cartel was married to her old high school friend, so that didn't really help ease Victoria's mind.

However, what did help calm Victoria down was the feeling of Angel's arms wrapped around her like they always did. The Miller woman knew that Angel would always keep her protected and safe so she didn't feel afraid with the older Reyes by her side. She trusted that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, so Victoria pushed all the cartel thoughts away as she wrapped her arms around Angel's neck and pulled him into a gentle kiss before she whispered against his lips, "thank you." 

A smile instantly curled up onto the Mayan member's face as he always loved when the brunette woman would praise him along with the fact that he was glad that Victoria wasn't feeling scared anymore - which made the Reyes man feel like he accomplished a life long mission as that was all Angel had ever wanted for Victoria. He always felt like, after Ezekiel went to prison, that it was his job to keep Victoria safe like his brother did when they were younger since Victoria's parents were never around. Angel had just never thought that he would care so much for the woman that used to annoy him as children but Angel knew he wouldn't change anything about the choices he had made in their friendship as he held the brunette woman tightly in his arms. "So, are you alright now, princesa?" The Reyes man wondered after a moment of staring into Victoria's hazel eyes as his rough fingers danced across the woman's exposed waist.

Victoria immediately nodded her head as she played with the dark hairs on the back of the biker's neck with a small smile shining across her lips. "I am," the Miller woman affirmed before she gave Angel a soft but meaningful kiss as she tried to express how grateful she was for him. The Miller woman then pulled Angel into a tight hug and placed her face into his neck as she breathed in his scent that made her think of home before she murmured against his skin, "thank you for everything. Thank you for keeping me safe, for protecting me, for loving me."

Angel's heart immediately swelled at the brunette woman's simple but touching words before he placed a soft kiss onto her forehead and murmured, "of course, princesa. You know I'll always go down swinging for you. Tú eres mi mejor amiga. Mi corazón. Mi dulce.  _[You are my best friend. My heart. My sweet.]_  I will never let anything happen to you." The Reyes man then squeezed Victoria into his arms for a moment as he was glad that she was calmer than she was when he first arrived before he moved his arm, so it thrown over her shoulder, and uttered as Angel slowly led her through the hallway of the Miller house, "now, let's get the sleepy nurse in bed."

Once they arrived in the large bedroom at the end of the hallway, Angel led the brunette woman over to the bed before he moved the dark blue blanket to the side and placed the sleepy Victoria into the bed and covered her up. The Mayan member then bent over the bed with his hand beside Victoria's head before he pushed the woman's brown hair out of her hazel eyes as he watched her slowly began to pass out with a soft smile on his lips.

These were some of the moments that Angel loved when he is with Victoria. It made all the club business just disappear and it makes Angel wish that he and Victoria would just leave Santo Padre when things get bad like he wanted to when the Clover gang had showed up at Victoria's house a little over two years ago and tried to hurt her to get to the club. However, Angel would never tell anyone about that, though, not even Victoria. It was just always at the back of his mind when things become unbearable for them. The thought was always like a safe haven for Angel as it always made him feel hopeful about the possibility of leaving this life behind and going to some small and unknown town with the woman he loves if things were to get too tough for them. 

"Good night, mi amor," the Reyes man whispered after a few minutes of him watching the soft breath leave Victoria's mouth as he thought she was asleep. Angel then leaned down and placed a lingering kiss onto the Miller woman's forehead before he silently stood up from his squatting position and headed back towards the door.

However, before Angel could fully walk out of the bedroom, the Miller woman quickly but lightly grasped ahold of the biker's hand before she murmured with her hazel eyes barely cracked open, "please, stay." Victoria wasn't still panicked or scared after her interaction with the Galindo cartel, but she just wanted to sleep next to her best friend and absorb his warmth and comfort. 

Angel let out a small but amused chuckle as he stared down at the half asleep woman in the bed before he told her as he lightly squeezed her hand to assure Victoria that he wasn't leaving her, "I'm just gonna make sure that the house is all locked up and I'll be right back, princesa." The thought of leaving the brunette woman didn't even cross his mind like Victoria obviously thought. Angel didn't trust Galindo and his men, so he didn't plan on leaving Victoria at home alone anytime soon since Miguel knew exactly who Victoria was and it wouldn't be that difficult to find out where she lives and somehow use her against the club.

It took Angel about a little less than four minutes before he found himself back in the silent bedroom after he had locked the front door, the side door, and the one that leads to the patio and backyard. The Mayan biker then silently walked over to the left side of the bed, that had been his designated spot for the past two years, and slipped off his boots, jeans, kutte, and shirt before Angel slowly slid into the bed beside Victoria.   

The Miller woman instantly turned into Angel's body as soon as she felt the familiar warmth enter the large bed before she lazily wrapped her right arm around the Reyes man's lower waist and snuggled into his warm, bare chest. It was like an instinct for the brunette woman as she always finds comfort in Angel just being here for her. They've been doing this for a little over seven years so it was extremely easy for her and Angel to feel this comfortable like this with each other.

Yeah, they have a friends-who-fuck relationship but most times that doesn't even happen. They started doing that two years into this relationship, where they could just lay next to each other and feel calmer without the physical aspect. Victoria knew most people would call that an actual relationship but she and Angel just never went any further besides fooling around and comforting each other. They just never had that 'talk' most people share when they realize it's not just a friends with benefits relationship anyone. But Victoria doesn't mind as she's happy with their situation. She gets to have her best friend, someone who makes her feel good, and someone who will protect her with their life and Victoria couldn't ask for anything else. It wasn't like their was any competition to cause them to have that 'talk,' anyway.

The large bedroom was silent for a couple of minutes as Victoria listened to Angel's calm heartbeat while the biker slowly ran his fingers through the woman's brunette hair as they absorbed the other's company before the silence was broken when Victoria mumbled against Angel's chest, "you know, I'm mad at you for never telling me about my best friend being back in town for 3 weeks when I haven't seen him in eight years along with the fact he's also prospecting with the club."

Angel let out a small chuckle as he knew that he would be getting this talk sooner or later since Victoria obviously knew about Ezekiel being involved with the club since she saw them leave together for the Nevada run this afternoon. "I know, hermosa," the Reyes man uttered softly before he placed a gentle kiss onto Victoria's forehead. "I'll make it up to you by taking you out for breakfast before I drop you off at the hospital in the morning," Angel promised.

A soft smile instantly lifted on Victoria's face at the way Angel knew the way to her heart with breakfast before she placed a kiss onto the Reyes man's tattooed chest and murmured her appreciation, "thank you, Ange." The Miller woman wasn't exactly mad at the biker for not telling her about Ezekiel joining the club like Angel obviously thought. She was just more upset that she was the last person in California to find out when Ezekiel has been her oldest best friend in the world.

Angel looked down at the brunette woman with a raised eyebrow before he questioned in an amused voice, "what? No yelling or screaming for not telling you about EZ?" The Reyes man had thought that he was going to get yelled at or there was going to be some arguing from Victoria's side since he never told her about Ezekiel, her best friend, being out of prison when Angel had went through three long weeks of Victoria worrying about not getting her weekly phone call from the younger Reyes.

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes and mumbled after she let out a heavy yawn, "shut up, Angel. I'm too tired." The Miller woman then slowly lifted her head from Angel's chest so she could look into the Mayan's brown haze before she uttered with a small smirk, "besides, I know waking up at six in the morning is going to be torture enough for you." Victoria placed a quick kiss onto Angel's lips before she laid back onto his chest and concluded with a slight shrug, "it's a win-win situation for me."

A loud groan immediately sounded through the dark bedroom of the Miller house as soon as the Mayan biker heard what time the brunette nurse needed to be up in the morning. "Ugh, you're killing me, princesa," Angel grumbled like a small child getting his toys taken away. However, unlike a small child, Angel didn't fight it. He instead wrapped his arm around Victoria's shoulder and pulled her closer into his chest. Angel then titled Victoria's head, so he was looking into her hazel eyes, before he pulled her into a small and sweet makeout session. Once they broke their embrace, Angel stared into Victoria's eyes for a moment before he murmured with a bright smile pulling onto his lips, "but you're worth it."

Victoria couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the usual tough and cocky biker's sweet and selfless statement before she uttered teasingly as she ran her hand up and down his chest while she tried to push away the blush that Victoria could feel sneaking up onto her cheeks, "you're such a big softy, Angel Ignacio Reyes." 

Angel tightened his arm around the Miller woman's shoulder as he lazily rubbed his fingers along her bare upper arm before he mumbled with obvious embarrassment shining throughout his voice, "shut up, Tori." The Reyes man then silently twisted his body around so he was now eye to eye with Victoria before he tossed his left leg over the brunette woman's thighs like he usually does when he's ready to sleep and mumbled as he snuggled Victoria into his chest, "good night, princesa."

A soft chuckle escaped Victoria's mouth as she realized Angel wasn't going to give her a chance to tease him anymore by falling asleep. The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes in amusement at the Reyes man's childish behavior before she settled herself further into Angel's arms with a small smile lifting onto her face as she always felt like home in the Mayan biker's arms. "You're my big softy," Victoria whispered once she felt Angel's breath even out which meant that he had already fallen asleep. The Miller woman could understand why he was passed out in less than three minutes, though, with all the stress the club had to deal with from the run to Nevada along with whatever the Galindo cartel wanted to talk about tonight. 

The thought of the Galindo cartel immediately made Victoria release a small sigh as she watched Angel's calm sleeping figure while she slowly traced the small tattoos on the biker's chest. The Miller woman didn't still feel afraid like she did when she first met Miguel Galindo and when Angel had showed up tonight, though, but it was still on her mind. Victoria knew from deep in her chest that it wasn't going to be the only time that she would see Miguel nor his head of security, Nestor Oceteva, like Angel had promised. It just didn't feel plausible for the brunette woman when she shows up at the clubhouse on a daily basis. It also didn't help that Victoria's closest best friend in the world is a prospect along with the fact that she's physically and emotionally involved with the secretary of the Mayans motorcycle club.

However, the one thought that plagued the Miller woman's mind and fears the most as she absorbed the tranquility and safeness between she and Angel was that the Galindo cartel knew who she is. They know that she has this close relationship with the Mayans along with the fact that she knows the leader of the cartel's wife. It just made Victoria have this bad feeling like she is going to get c _aught in the middle_ of some war between the club and the cartel that she didn't even want to be involved in nor did she really know anything about. 


	5. Old Friends

It was about a week after Victoria's run-in with the Galindo cartel at the Mayans' clubhouse that the Miller woman felt like her life was slowly going back to normal with only worrying about the children that she works with at the hospital and the bikers that she works with at night - even though her nightly clients weren't as frequent as they usually are. However, Victoria figured that had something to do with Angel, who has barely left her side all week, since he's been trying to keep her away from the clubhouse to keep her safe - which Victoria would forever be grateful for as she didn't want to be involved with anymore of the club's businesses.

Currently, Victoria was strolling around the town square of Santo Padre on her thirty-minute lunch break from her nursing shift. The Miller woman had decided to use this time to run a few errands and pick up some things since Victoria knew that she would be too tired to do it once she got off work tonight and helped Pop close up the butcher shop. So after about fifteen minutes at the liquor store, Victoria ended up grabbing a few cases of Modelo beer and two new bottles of tequila since she was running low - thanks to the Reyes brothers stopping by her house a lot this week. The Miller woman also stopped by the grocery store next door and picked up a few items for her kitchen since, once again, the Reyes brothers along with Coco had been eating a lot of her food. 

Once Victoria made sure that she had everything that she would need for the next couple of days, the Miller woman placed her things into the trunk of her red Hyundai Accent - that Ezekiel had, thankfully, brought to the hospital since she had rode on the back of Angel's motorcycle this morning when they went to Angel's 'makeup breakfast' at Nookie's Diner before the older Reyes had dropped her off at work. 

The Miller woman then glanced down at her simple silver watch on her left wrist after she had everything packed up before she realized that she had another fifteen or so minutes to spare. Victoria knew that she needed a few minutes to stop by her house to drop off the alcohol and the food but Victoria figured that she could look through a couple of the outdoor shops for a few more minutes before she had to get back on the road.

So with her new plan in mind, Victoria locked up her car before she slowly began to walk down the strip in Santo Padre's town square as she looked at the different stalls. The Miller woman walked past a couple of small owners before she came to a stop in front of a medium sized stall that were selling dozens of dream catchers which Victoria absolutely adored - hense the water colored dream catcher tattoo running down her arm from her elbow to her wrist that she got on her nineteenth birthday. 

"Hola," the older woman greeted the nurse with a wrinkled smile once Victoria started to admire all the different designs, colors, and beads running down the dream catchers. "¿Cómo estás hoy?"  _["How are you today?"]_  The stall owner politely asked in her native tongue before she uttered in English, "please let me know if you would like a closer look at any of them."

Victoria glanced over to the woman with a small smile once she took her eyes off of the beautiful creations before she greeted her back and answered her simple question as best as she could in Spanish, "hola. Estoy bien. El clima es hermoso hoy."  _["I'm fine. The weather is beautiful today."]_ The Miller woman then focused back onto the dream catchers with interest once she gave the older woman a small nod as she planned on taking a closer look at a few of the dream catchers along with taking them home with her.

While Victoria was busy looking at a section of small dream catchers with long and beautiful feathers, a woman dressed in white pants, blouse, and a leather jacket slowly pushed a dark blue stroller up to the familiar brunette woman before she uttered loudly but in a soft voice filled with joyous childhood memories, "Victoria."

The aforementioned Miller woman quickly glanced behind her once she heard her name, where she instantly noticed a familiar face that she hadn't seen in eight long years. "Emily," she greeted her old friend in a small murmur. Victoria knew she shouldn't be that surprised that the Thomas now Galindo woman had sought her out since her husband had mentioned that he would say something to her. However, Victoria was still in disbelief as it had been so long since she had even been face to face with someone that she used to call her best female friend.

The Galindo woman stared at Victoria for a moment with a small grin covered across her face as she took in Victoria's older features before she let out a nervous chuckle and stepped around her son's stroller before she pulled her old friend into a tight hug. "It's good to see you," Emily truthfully expressed into Victoria's ear before she pulled away and stated, "Miguel mentioned that he ran into you last week and I figured it was finally time to catch up with you."

_I wouldn't exactly call it running into each other,_ Victoria thought but decided to not voice those words as she wasn't exactly sure if Emily knew what her husband does for a living. Instead, Victoria gave her old friend a small nod and uttered with a tiny smile, "it's good to see you too, Em." The Miller woman then curiously glanced over her high school best friend's shoulder before her hazel eyes instantly widened once she connected her gaze with a familiar steel pair of brown irises that belonged to the head of security; Nestor Oceteva. 

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared directly at the man with the braids for the first time since meeting the Galindo cartel at the Mayans' clubhouse. The Miller woman then glanced back over to her old friend as she couldn't help but make a joke to hopefully ease the tension that she was feeling by standing in front of the dream catcher stall with someone that she hadn't seen in eight years and the man that makes her nervous. "What's with the security, Em?" Victoria teased with a tiny smirk, "you get into some trouble?"

Emily looked at her old friend with a small frown before she turned her head to the side to see what Victoria had seen. The Galindo woman couldn't help but immediately release a small sigh once she saw the always serious Nestor standing behind her with his arms crossed tightly over his dark blue dress shirt. Emily had thought that she had lost the man in the crowd but sadly; that obviously didn't work. The blonde woman then turned back around and gave Victoria a tight smile before she explained her personal security guard, "the husband wants to keep his wife and his little prince safe."

Victoria silently nodded her head in understanding as Angel was currently doing the same thing to her before she turned her attention on the now fussy baby in the stroller. A bright grin immediately pulled onto the Miller woman's face as she has always adored children - hence her job as a pediatric nurse. "And who might this cutie be?" Victoria questioned in a small voice like everyone does when they are talking to a baby while she slowly moved to squat in front of the small child. 

A proud smile instantly lifted onto Emily's face as she slowly moved closer to Victoria, who was looking at her pride and joy. "This is mi mijo,  _[my son]_ Cristobal Galindo," the blonde woman answered Victoria's question as she watched as her little boy stared at her old friend with his wide brown eyes filled with wonder and his usual happiness.

"Hola, sweet boy," Victoria uttered gently as she reached across into the stroller and grazed her fingertip across Cristobal's soft and tiny right hand that was resting on the small table in front of him as she ignored everything around them - especially the tense brown irises watching her every move. "You are just so cute I could eat you all up," the Miller woman teasingly uttered as she brought her fingers lightly to Cristobal's tiny stomach - which immediately caused small giggles to fall for the little boy's mouth.

The Miller woman smiled and played with the small child for a few more minutes before she finally had to force herself to stand up from her squatted position or she would be down there all day. Victoria was used to being around children and using that 'baby voice' she was using and it was always hard for her to break after working 10-plus hour days. So once Victoria could finally feel her adult self being back in control, she turned towards her grinning old friend and complemented her, "he's a beautiful boy, Em." The Miller woman then stood up straight next to Emily before she squeezed the blonde's upper arm and stated softly, "I know we haven't been close in years but I'm really proud of you and glad that you're living happy despite not exactly leaving Santo Padre." 

A wide and true smile instantly pulled onto the Galindo woman's face at her old friend's assumption as she is truly happy with her life before she uttered, "thank you." Emily then bumped her hip with Victoria's scrub covered one before she teased, "but I could say the same for you." The Galindo woman rose an eyebrow at the brunette as she stated, "I always thought you were going to leave this town like we all swore in high school."

Victoria immediately noticed the way Emily said 'we' instead of them and Ezekiel, who was also in their pact of leaving this town behind them. However, the Miller woman figured it wasn't a good idea to bring up the younger Reyes when Emily is happily married and Ezekiel is involved with the Mayans. Instead, Victoria told her old friend with a soft sigh, "it's a long story."

Emily stared at the Miller woman for a moment with her brows furrowed before she glanced back to her grinning son and the emotionless Nestor. The Galindo woman silently nodded her head to herself as she ran a thought through her head before she turned and faced Victoria with a bright smile before she stated, "I have time." Emily twitched her head to the side before she wondered with a hopeful voice, "do you wanna go grab a cup of coffee and talk?"

A smile instantly lifted onto Victoria's face as she was glad to finally have some sort of girl-talk with someone that actually knows her and her past before she answered, "I'd love to." The Miller woman then turned her attention on the dream catcher stall owner before she murmured politely as she really did want to buy a couple, "volvere manana."  _[I'll be back tomorrow."]_ Once Victoria saw the older woman give her a small nod and a smile, the Miller nurse faced her old friend and stated with a grin, "alright, let's go."

The two old friends with the giggling Cristobal then began to walk down the narrow street side of the town square with, of course, Nestor Oceteva following a couple of steps behind before the brunette and blonde woman walked into a small cafe that sells pastries and coffee. The old friends quickly ordered their lattes before they found a spot through a pair of glass double doors that led to a private sitting area. Once Victoria and Emily were settled around the small table with their coffees and Cristobal's stroller between them while Nestor stood watch by the doors, the Galindo woman exclaimed excitedly to get to know her old friend again, "so, spill. What has been going on in Victoria Miller's life?"

Victoria couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the eager blonde woman in front of her that reminded her so much of the happy and bubbly strawberry blonde teenager that she used to tell all her secrets to and used to sneak out in the middle of the night to meet away from their horrible home lives. It almost made Victoria feel like that she and Emily didn't actually stop talking to each other for eight years and that they were just meeting for their weekly talks. However, that wasn't the case at all for the old friends, so Victoria took a small sip of her hot latte before she answered Emily's previous question about why she never left their hometown, "after we graduated, I did plan on leaving like us and EZ planned. But, you know, after Mama M's death, I just couldn't leave the three Reyes men behind."

The Miller woman took another sip of her caffeinated drink before she continued with a shake of her head, "even though I knew Felipe and Angel could take care of themselves and EZ would at least be semi-safe while in prison, they had always been the only family that has ever cared for me so I always felt like it would be selfish of me to leave them behind and go live my dream in New York when I could stay in S'Padre with my family while also being the pediatric nurse that I always wanted to be."

A small smile lifted onto the Galindo woman's mouth as she wrapped her fingers around the warm lime green coffee cup after she listened to her old friend's story. "That was real sweet of you, Vic," Emily commented in a small murmur. Emily wished that she could have had that much strength growing up as she only lasted in Santo Padre for a few months after Ezekiel's jail sentence before she left her then boyfriend and best friend behind. The Galindo woman quickly pushed away her guilt for leaving her best friend as she wondered, "so, what college did you end up going to?" Emily took a small sip of her drink before she commented, "I remember during our last semester of high school, you always said that you wanted to join EZ at Stanford."

Victoria quickly shook her head as she instantly shut down Emily's assumption. "That was an EZ and I thing, so it never felt right," the Miller woman stated as she couldn't even get herself to open the letters that she got back then from the ivy league school that was six and a half hours away. It was always a plan that she and Ezekiel had set into place the second they started high school, so it felt wrong for Victoria to do that without her best friend.

"Pop was struggling with the butcher shop and Angel needed me after Mama M passed, so I just ended up attending a local university on a full scholarship about two hours away and got my bachelors and masters in nursing," Victoria explained to the Galindo woman about her schooling history before she told her about her career, "and about two and a half years ago I got a job at Santo Padre Medical Center in the Pediatric department." The Miller woman took another sip of her coffee before she exclaimed with a proud smile, "I love it so much. I would never trade it for anything the world, not even for some hotshot hospital in New York."

Emily silently nodded her head as she absorbed her old friend's adult life with her own proud smile on her face. The Galindo woman remembered the brunette had always wanted to be a pediatric nurse ever since they were children themselves, so Emily was really proud that Victoria accomplished her goal even without leaving Santo Padre. "I always knew that you would be able to do it," Emily murmured as she reached across the small table and squeezed Victoria's hand. The Galindo woman then shot her a playful smirk before she wondered teasingly, "so, you and the older Reyes, huh?"

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes at her old friend in a playful manner while she tried to keep the obvious blush from rising onto her cheeks like they always do when she talks about her relationship with the older Reyes. "It's not like that," the Miller woman uttered with an awkward chuckle as she aimlessly ran her point finger along her coffee cup before she stated simply with a small shrug, "Angel and I just have always been there for each other after Mama M and the stuff with EZ happened. It's not like a couple relationship or anything. It's more like a beneficial one where we comfort each other."

The Miller woman felt a little weird talking about hers and Angel's relationship since Emily doesn't exactly understand it like Coco and the club does, so Victoria didn't explain much more like how they sleep in the same bed most nights and about the emotions that are involved before she moved her hazel eyes off of the eager blonde woman and looked around the small cafe, where her gaze instantly connected with a steel pair of brown irises that were staring directly at her.

Victoria was shocked to see Nestor closely watching her as she had totally forgotten that he was here while she was talking with Emily. She didn't know what it was, but the Oceteva man just makes Victoria so damn nervous when she's around him. It was like he's reading her or trying to figure her out. It especially didn't help when Nestor hasn't even uttered a single word to her - which made her even more nervous as she couldn't understand why he was so focused on her. Victoria had never been this awkward and nervous around anyone in her entire life until she had laid her hazel eyes on the cartel assassin with the braids and the brunette nurse didn't know if that was a good or bad thing right now.

"You know," the Galindo woman began after a short moment of content silence had settled at their small table, which knocked Victoria out of her staring match with Nestor, before she stated as she couldn't wrap her head around this 'relationship' between her old friend and Angel, "when Miguel mentioned that you had a protective Reyes hanging off of you like a sick puppy when he ran into you, I was honestly surprised." Emily shook her head with a soft chuckle before she stated, "I never thought you and Angel would be close like that after all the torture and teasing he put you through while growing up."

Victoria shrugged her shoulders lightly as she took a gulp of her warm latte before she defended the older Reyes, "well, people change. We both experienced the same heartbreak together so it brought us closer." The Miller woman then decided, as soon as she saw Emily's thinking face, that she would get this topic off of Angel as she felt nervous talking about him, a Mayans member, to the cartel's wife while his security was only a few feet away. "So, what happened with you, Em?" Victoria wondered with a friendly smile, "what happened when you left Santo Padre?"

Emily let a large grin spread across her lips as she instantly began to replay the happy memories of her college career in her head like a romantic comedy movie. "I ended up needing a break after I left here, so I traveled to Boston for a few months to get my life in order," the Galindo woman began in a somber voice before she continued with a smile rising onto her face, "then in September after high school I got accepted to Princeton University, where I got my law degree." Emily then glanced over to her beautiful boy, who was giggling in his stroller as he looks so much like his father before the blonde woman added with love in her eyes, "and that is where I met mi amor."

"Really?" Victoria interestingly wondered with a raised eyebrow. The Miller nurse couldn't help but feel surprised that Emily met the cartel leader while attending the number one ivy league school in the country. Victoria had figured that Miguel had always been involved with the Galindo cartel, maybe it was a family thing, so it was a shock to the brunette woman that this was how her old friend and the cartel leader got involved with one another. 

Emily nodded her head with a soft chuckle as she figured she would get that reaction because of the reputation that her husband has before the Galindo woman began to recall the memory of meeting Miguel, "it happened just a few weeks into my junior year at Princeton." Emily rolled her eyes as she stated with humor throughout her voice, "I was rushing to class, like you know I used to do, while also trying to study for my Political Science class when the next thing I know I'm slamming into a hard wall that just so happens to be Miguel's chest."

"Classic Emily," the Miller woman interrupted her old friend's story with a small laugh as she realized nothing had changed for the blonde woman from when she was in high school. Victoria's old friend, female best friend at the time, always had the tendency all through their junior high and high school life to find the need to get some extra study time while also being late for class. She and Ezekiel used to always tease Emily for doing that.

"Shut up," Emily mumbled in embarrassment as she felt like her young teenage self being teased by the then brunette girl that she had called her best friend through her entire childhood. The Galindo woman then pushed a portion of her blonde hair behind her ear as she finally felt her beet red blush disappear before she continued with her story of meeting her husband, "anyway, Miguel ended up apologizing, even though it was my fault, and offered to walk me to class like a gentleman." Emily let out a small giggle as she remembered how charming and smooth Miguel was back then before she uttered with a loving smile across her pink lips, "he felt so bad that he took me to dinner that night, where we talked for hours and hours like we knew each other for years."

"It was like fate that day," Emily happily sighed as she was lost in her old memories while she retold her personal love story, "I never even seen Miguel on campus during my first three years at Princeton or even knew who he was until I quite literally ran right into his arms." The Galindo woman shook her head with a wide smile before she expressed to someone that she could actually gush to since she didn't really have any girl friends anymore, "Miguel was always like that fresh breath of air for me. It was like I was drowning for so long and he saved me."

The Miller woman couldn't help but smile at the way Emily's eyes sparkled with love while she talked about her husband - even though he is the leader of a dangerous cartel. "You guys are honestly so adorable that it makes my stomach hurt," Victoria teasingly joked as she shot the blonde woman a small smirk and a wink before Victoria grew serious as she uttered truthfully once she reached across the table and squeezed the Galindo woman's hand, "but, honestly, I'm really happy for you, Em. I'm glad you have someone that cares and loves you as much as Miguel obviously does. I've only met Miguel once, but I can definitely tell."

"Thank you," the grinning blonde woman praised as she squeezed Victoria's hand to show the brunette her gratitude before Emily gushed with that same love-sick smile, "he makes me so happy, Vic. It was an absolute blessing to have found Miguel during that time five years ago when I was struggling with school and living on my own in New Jersey." Emily shook her head with a soft chuckle before she continued, "but once he walked into my life, Miguel turned it upside down and into a fairytale in a matter of a couple of months." The Galindo woman then glanced over to her beautiful boy and concluded with a soft smile, "he gave me everything I've ever wanted; love, a family, a purpose, and most importantly; my pride and joy - mi mijo."

The private room in the small cafe immediately grew silent with a sense of tranquility once Emily had finished gushing over her marriage to her old friend and the two women shared another smile. The brunette and blonde just enjoyed being in the other's company for the first time in years while they finished up the rest of their lattes. However, the silence was soon interrupted when a thought suddenly popped into the Galindo woman's mind.

"You know, you should really join Miguel and I for dinner one night," Emily exclaimed with a wide grin as her thoughts had been overcome by the fact that she didn't want this to be a one time thing with Victoria. The blonde woman felt like she hadn't even lost anytime with her old friend by the way they chatted with each other instead of the reality of not speaking for over eight years, so Emily didn't want it to just stop again. She wanted Victoria to be involved in hers and her family's life, hence the dinner invitation, as the Miller woman had always been the closest thing Emily had to a sister, so it would mean the world to her if Miguel, her husband, and Victoria, her best friend, got to know one another.

"I know you must have heard around town about what my husband does for a living," Emily quietly began after she took a quick glance back at Nestor as she knew Victoria had to know about the cartel since the brunette woman is involved with Angel Reyes and the Mayans before Emily told Victoria with a pleading smile, "but he has another, kinder side when he's not dealing with his business so I'd really like for you guys to meet and talk." 

However, though, when the Galindo woman noticed the apprehensive expression on her friend's face instead of the agreeing one that the blonde had hoped for, Emily swiftly reached across the table and lightly placed her fingers against Victoria's lower arm before she begged, "please, Vic. You know you had always been the most important person to me while we were growing up and it would mean so much if you got to know the other important person in my life."

The Miller woman bit down on her bottom lip while she stared across at her friend after Emily's begging. Victoria was conflicted with her decision. She did want to be involved in Emily's life as she didn't have much girl friends with how hectic her days are and Emily would understand when she deals with her husband's cartel and associates on a daily basis. However, there was this one part of Victoria that knew it would be a horrible idea to meet up with Miguel Galindo - that was the part that Angel had instilled into her. Victoria knew, without a single doubt, that Angel would not be happy with her if he was to find out that she was going to have dinner with the person that he has been trying to protect her from all week. However, there was this bigger part of Victoria that trusted Emily and believed that she wouldn't be harmed during this dinner despite the fact that she would be up close and personal with basically el diablo.

Finally, after a long and tense couple of minutes had passed while the eager and nervous blonde awaited her friend's answer, Victoria let out a heavy sigh before she finally agreed to going out to dinner with her friend and her husband, "alright, I'll come." The brunette woman then turned her attention on the giggling child that was smiling brightly before she leaned towards Cristobal and lightly squeezed his chubby cheeks as she teased her friend, "but I'm only going because I get to see this beautiful boy again."

Emily let out a chuckle and shook her head in amusement while she watched as her friend used her baby voice while Victoria played with her giggling pride and joy. "Well, he does have his father's charm," the blonde woman joked before she let out a content and happy sigh. Emily was just so glad that her friend agreed to come to dinner with her and Miguel. The Galindo woman had been so afraid for those couple of minutes that Victoria would say no as she didn't want to lose her friend again. Emily felt normal when she and Victoria talked. She didn't feel like the wife of a dangerous cartel leader and Emily didn't want that to stop. She felt that having Victoria back would put some normalcy into her world and she would have that missing piece in her life that came in the form of her best friend. 

"You are just too cute," Victoria couldn't help but gush when Cristobal suddenly wrapped his small hand around her point finger with a toothy smile spread widely across his face. "Oh, yes you are," the Miller woman cooed as she tapped the adorable child's small button nose before she began to tickle the young child's tiny stomach with her own smile. Victoria knew that she was definitely screwed as she played with Cristobal and listened to his laughter as she knew that she was already growing too attached to the Galindo family and that was definitely a bad thing when she's involved with the Mayans. But, at the moment, Victoria couldn't be all that bothered by the fact that she was messing with fire while she played peek-a-boo with the Galindo child that could light up any room.

However, Victoria's blissfulness of listening to the heavenly laughter of her friend's son was all too soon interrupted when the Miller woman suddenly heard her watch begin to beep loudly. "Crap," the brunette swore as she glanced down at her silver piece of jewelry resting on her wrist as she realized it was time for her lunch break to end. Victoria gave the small child one last smile and pinched his chubby cheeks before she turned her attention onto Emily with an apologetic expression and told her, "I gotta head back to work at the hospital."

The Miller woman let out a soft sigh as, for the first time, Victoria didn't want to go back to work as she was enjoying herself with her friend and her adorable son. However, Victoria knew that she couldn't stay any longer as she has groceries and alcohol sitting in her car that she really needed to put in her refrigerator along with the tiny babies that needed her help at the hospital, so the brunette nurse stood up from the small table before she pulled Emily into a tight hug. "It was good to spend some time with you, Em," Victoria expressed once she pulled away from their embrace, "I'm glad that we finally got to sit down with each other after so long."

"Me too," Emily quickly uttered with a grin spreading across her pink lips. "Our lives just have been so crazy over the last couple of years," the Galindo woman explained their absent friendship before she exclaimed, "but that isn't going to happen ever again." A light then suddenly went off in the blonde's head before she inquired, "oh! Do you have a card or do you want to just give me your number so I can call you this week to set up a date for dinner?"

The Miller woman swiftly dug into her nurse scrubs front pockets at the question as she realized Emily didn't have her number and she knew that she had a card with her number and email on it for her patients' parents. It took a couple of seconds, but finally Victoria found one of the small cards after she dug through her crowded pockets that were filled with medical supplies, her keys, cell phone, wallet, and children stickers. "Here we are," Victoria mumbled before she handed the card over to her friend with a smile and stated, "just give me a call and I can see if I can take off work."

Emily nodded her head in understanding as she could only imagine the busy schedule of a nurse. The Galindo woman then silently placed the card into the pocket of her white jacket as she mentally reminded herself to put the number into her cell phone later on before she told Victoria with her own smile spread across her lips, "I will. I just have to talk it over with Miguel first and we'll figure out what day that we can all meet together."

Victoria gave her friend another smile in agreement before she turned her attention onto the smiling baby boy. The brunette woman bent down so she was eye level with the stroller before she let the small boy wrap his hand around her finger and promised, "and I will see you soon." Victoria then listened to the heavenly laughter of Cristobal for a moment as she lovingly rubbed his short brown hair before she finally pulled herself up from her squatted position. The brunette let out a low sigh as she knew that it was time for her to go, so Victoria squeezed Emily's lower arm as a silent goodbye before she headed towards the entrance of the private room in the small cafe.

However, Victoria quickly paused in her step once she realized that she was only a couple of feet away from the mysterious Nestor Oceteva. Victoria didn't understand it, but the head of security just made her so damn nervous that it was starting to be ridiculous. She had never had this reaction or feeling with anyone in her entire life, so it was definitely putting Victoria on edge as the feeling confused her. But Victoria didn't have time to question why one man was causing this reaction from her, so she took a deep breath and swallowed thickly before Victoria continued on her way. The Miller nurse walked until she was shoulder to shoulder with the staring man before she couldn't help but mutter awkwardly, "goodbye, Nestor."

A small curve of a smile briefly lifted onto Nestor's face as he could tell that he was making the brunette woman nervous but quickly lost the small emotion before anyone could notice. Instead, the head of security for the Galindo cartel shortly nodded his head as he connected his brown eyes with the nurse's hazel ones before he murmured in a quiet voice, "until next time, Victoria."

The Miller woman silently twitched her head to the side as she stared at the tall man after she had listened to Nestor's voice for the first time. It wasn't something that she was expecting. It was a very calming sound that certainly didn't go with his steel brown eyes and the weapons strapped to his chest. If it was even possible, it made Victoria feel even more nervous to be around the Oceteva man because it made Nestor that more dangerous since Victoria could easily fall into a trap that she's sure a lot of people have by his soft and trance-like voice.

Victoria quickly shook her head after a minute or two as she realized that she was still staring at Nestor. The Miller woman then gave her a friend a brief smile before she quickly fast walked out of the private room without looking at the amused man and out of the small cafe. Victoria felt like she could finally breathe once she stepped foot out onto the busy street of Santo Padre now that she wasn't being gazed down by the head of security of the Galindo cartel.

"Get yourself together, Vic," the Miller nurse scolded herself under her breath as she ran her fingers through her long hair before she fast walked down the road and back to her car. Victoria let out a heavy sigh once she was in the comfort of her car as she tried to drill the dangerous man out of her mind. Even though Victoria now planned on getting closer to the Galindo family after her chat with Emily and meeting the little Cristobal, Nestor was definitely someone that she didn't want to get close to. She knew it wouldn't bode well with Angel that she was getting involved with the Galindo family but getting involved with Nestor would get an even worse reaction as she could tell the older Reyes doesn't like the man with the braids from the recent talks that they've had this week over Angel's annoyance for the head of security of the Galindo cartel. 

Apparently, Nestor had been bossing Angel around ever since that meeting at the clubhouse and Angel is only days away from snapping at the cartel assassin. Victoria had to keep reminding Angel all through the week that the nicest that he can be to the cartel, the faster that the club will finally be finished with them. It helped ease Angel by a little bit, but Victoria could tell the older Reyes is starting to lose his patience with the cartel and the head of security by all the grunt work that they've been making him and the club go through. 

_I don't have time for this,_ Victoria thought after a moment of sitting in her car as she shook her head and quickly pushed the Oceteva man to the back of her mind before she started up her vehicle and began to travel through the streets of Santo Padre as quickly and safety as she could as she really needed to get these groceries and alcohol back to her house and head back to work before she's late. Victoria originally hadn't planned on staying out in the town square for this long, but after running into Emily, the Miller nurse had just lost all concepts of time. 

However, Victoria didn't regret it at all. She was glad that she and Emily had finally came together for the first time in eight years instead of the usual cards that she would get for holidays. It was long overdo and Victoria was happy that it finally happened. The only downside, though, was the fact that her best friend is married to someone that Angel has been trying to protect her from. Victoria knew this will cause some problems with her involvement with the Mayans, but the brunette woman wouldn't just back down. It just wasn't who she is and Victoria wasn't just going to stop communicating with her old friend as Emily was someone that she wanted to be in her life again. Victoria just hoped that her new involvement with the Galindo family won't end up causing her to be _caught in the middle_ of the cartel and the club's business. 


	6. Twenty Questions

The very exhausted Miller nurse threw her body against the cold and steel receptionist desk of the pediatric ICU department with a loud and tired sigh at about ten thirty-seven p.m. as she was finally finished with work for the day. Victoria had spent the last sixteen hours enclosed inside of the pale walls of Santo Padre Medical Center, so the brunette woman was definitely ready to head home and have her a nice glass of red wine before sleeping for the rest of the week. 

"You are still here?" The loud voice of the receptionist, Erica Johnston, practically yelled into the brunette nurse's ear as she looked up from her computer screen and her data entries, where she finally noticed the younger woman's tired form. Erica shook her head with amusement shining throughout her brown eyes when she only heard a small groan before she exclaimed with a playfully stern voice, "you better get home before you end up falling asleep on the floor and I am not helping you this time, Victoria."

The Miller nurse couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, despite how tired she was, as the older woman always says that when Victoria has a long shift. There was one instance where Victoria had accidentally fell over after almost a twenty hour shift during her first year and Erica still won't let her live it down. "I know, I know," the Miller nurse mumbled with an eye roll before she explained as she leaned her head into the palm of her hand with a small frown, "I was just finishing up with my last patient. Jordan was having some problems with swallowing his medicine, so I stayed until he got it down." Victoria had felt bad for the small eight year old boy that was dealing with his constantly fighting parents and pneumonia, so she didn't care about the fact that her shift ended thirty minutes ago as she wanted to make sure her patient was comfortable for the night. 

Erica silently nodded her head in understanding to why she was still at work and gave the young and kind woman a small smile before she promised as she knew how worried and emotionally attached Victoria could get with her patients over the last couple of years, "I'll make sure to let the next round of nurses know to keep an extra eye on him during the night."

"Thank you," the Miller nurse praised appreciatively to know the small boy would be watched like she would be doing. Victoria knew if Jordan was still having problems that she would have just slept in an on-call room for the night, so she could be close enough to help him if he was in pain. It was just how she has always been with her patients. People always tell Victoria that she has a big heart as she hates leaving the hospital when the children that she's taking care of are in pain. Victoria likes to ease that pain as much as she can when they are in hospital as she could only imagine how afraid they are at such a young age.

"Is Jordan the only one that they need to watch?" Erica inquired after she wrote a small note to remind Kayla, the next nurse who was working in the pediatric ICU department, to make sure that the young boy wasn't in any pain while he slept through the night. This is the usual routine when a nurse or doctor leaves at the end of their shift. They always make sure that there are notes for the next nurses and doctors so the transition runs more smoothly.

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she thought for a moment about all the children that she had taken care of today before she shook her head. "Everyone else should be fine until they wake up," the Miller nurse answered the receptionist's question before she quickly added as she remembered something important, "but whoever comes in next needs to make sure to watch for any heart arrhythmia's for baby Nessa. Dr. Loomis repaired it this morning with surgery, so we need to keep a close eye on her."

Erica nodded her head as she quickly wrote down the information on another sticky note before she stuck it to the side of her computer. "Got it," the receptionist mumbled, mostly to herself, "Jordan might have trouble through the night and baby Nessa needs hourly check-ups." Once the older woman made sure that she had the right information, she turned her brown gaze onto the exhausted Victoria before she commanded, "now, you are going to get your ass home and sleep, missy."

The Miller nurse couldn't help but let out a heavy chuckle at the demanding older woman as she lifted her limp body from the cold receptionist desk before she innocently held her hands in the air and muttered with a grin, "fine, fine." Victoria then reached into her blue scrubs and pulled out the small handheld tablet before she handed it over to the receptionist to be put on the charger. "Good night, Mrs. Johnston," the Miller nurse stated with a small smile after she let out a heavy yawn before she turned her body around and silently headed for the elevators.

Victoria leaned her head against the cold wall of the elevator as she rode it down for three long floors while she listened to the soft piano music that was making her even more exhausted than before. Thankfully, after about four minutes had passed and before Victoria could fall asleep, the elevator let out a loud ding to alert the Miller woman that she was finally at the bottom level of the hospital. Victoria let out a heavy sigh as she stood up straight before she exited out of the elevator and walked through the silent waiting room of Santo Padre Medical Center and made her way to the surprisingly empty parking lot.

The hospital is usually crowded at ten at night but Victoria's brain wasn't in the mood to think so much, so she pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she sluggishly made her way towards her red vehicle. Once Victoria was in front of the Hyundai Accent, she reached into the pocket of her scrubs and grabbed her keys. The Miller woman tiredly unlocked her car before she tossed her body into the driver's seat. Victoria closed her hazel eyes for a moment as she absorbed the calm moment in her life before she placed the keys into the ignition and tried to make her car come to life.

However, Victoria didn't hear the smooth sound of the engine starting up like she usually would hear. Instead, the brunette woman heard the sound of her car stalling. "You got to be kidding me," Victoria grumbled once she gave up on her car before she bounced her forehead off of the leather steering wheel.  _I cannot believe my luck,_ the nurse thought as she really just wanted her bed right now. Victoria didn't even understand why her car wasn't working. It was running smoothly this afternoon when she was running errands and after her meet up with Emily. 

The Miller woman didn't know shit about fixing a car, despite her interest and knowledge of motorcycles, so Victoria reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out her cell phone to dial one of the people that would immediately come pick her up. Victoria listened to the ringing for a moment as she leaned back in her seat before she wondered once the call was answered, "hey, Ange. Can you come pick me up from the hospital?"

The older Reyes instantly became on guard as soon as he answered Victoria's call as he was the one that usually called when he knew that she would be at home after work and not while she was supposed to be on the road. "What's wrong, princesa? Are you in trouble? Do you need the clubs help?" Angel swiftly fired off as his mind was running a mile a minute. 

Victoria couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the obviously worried biker before she murmured, "no, no. It's nothing like that." The Miller woman ran her fingers through her messy brunette hair for a second before she explained her problem to Angel, "it's just my piece of shit car. It wouldn't even start up when I tried. It immediately stalled." Victoria then slowly got out of her red car that was no use to her as she added with a small smile, "so, no, I don't need the big and bad MC. I just need Angel."

Once Angel realized that nothing serious was wrong with the Miller woman and she wasn't in any trouble, a smirk lifted onto his face as he made his way out of the loud Mayans clubhouse before the Reyes biker wondered teasingly, "oh, really? And what will I get if I do help you, princesa?"

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes as she knew what game Angel was playing at. However, she didn't mind as Victoria figured some alone time with Angel right now would help her have a good night's sleep after an exhausted today. "Well," Victoria drawled out as she closed the door of her car and leaned against it before she murmured with a small smirk as she knew that she had Angel right where she wanted him, "if you can get here in less than thirty minutes then I'll do whatever you want once we get home."

A loud groan instantly sounded through Victoria's cell phone, like she had expected after her taunting, before Angel hurriedly uttered in a throaty voice once he swiftly jumped onto his motorcycle, "you will be the death of me, princesa." There was then the loud sound of, what Victoria could only assume, Angel grabbing his helmet from his side compartment and the noisy sound of the motorcycle's engine before Angel quickly promised, "don't go anywhere. I'm on my way, princesa."

Victoria let out a loud chuckle as she could hear the want and need in the older Reyes' voice before she murmured with a smirk, "I'll see you soon then." The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes after a second or two when she only heard the dial tone as she realized Angel had hung up on her.  _Looks like I'm not gonna get much sleep for the next couple of hours,_ Victoria thought while she pushed her cell phone back into her blue scrubs as she knew she and Angel were going to be quite busy by how urgent Angel was to get to her. Victoria figured he needed to relax himself from all the club business, so the Miller nurse knew that she was in for a long night - not that she was going to complain. She loved when Angel was like this as it always comes with mind-blowing sex.

Victoria figured that it would take Angel at least twenty or so minutes until he would show up at the hospital, so the Miller woman moved to the front of her car and jumped onto the hood before she leaned back and stared up at the bright stars in the night sky as she enjoyed the peaceful silence. However, the tranquility didn't last as long as Victoria had thought it would when she heard a somewhat familiar voice quietly ask, "car trouble?"

"You have no ide-" Victoria began to mumble in annoyance as she pulled her body off of her vehicle as the Miller woman figured it was one of the nurses from the hospital that was talking to her. But Victoria was shocked that she couldn't even finish her sentence when she saw the steel pair of brown eyes that belongs to the head of security for the Galindo cartel. The Miller woman instantly grew nervous with being this close to Nestor, so she swallowed thickly and backed up until she was stopped by her car. "Um," Victoria awkwardly mumbled before she asked in a quiet voice as Victoria was concerned for the reason why the dangerous man was seeking her out at night, "w-what are you doing here?" 

The Oceteva man stood up straight from his position against the brick wall before he slowly and silently walked towards the brunette woman until he was standing only a couple of feet away from her. Nestor then twitched his head to the side as he watched Victoria's obviously nervous figure before he finally uttered as he crossed his arms over his dark blue dress shirt, "Miguel wants to know who's all involved with his cartel while the Los Olvidados is screwing up his business." Nestor took another step closer before he concluded, "he also would like to know who's his wife is hanging around."

Victoria couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes, despite how nervous Nestor makes her, at the stupid questions before she crossed her arms over her own chest and stated, "well, you can tell Miguel that he has nothing to worry about since I know nothing about the rebels." The Miller woman stared into Nestor's brown eyes for a moment before she had to remind herself to continue, "and with the Emily issue, Miguel doesn't have to be wary about me. I would never let anything happen to her. Emily has always been like my sister, so I would protect her with my life."

Nestor silently nodded his head as he took in the Miller woman's words to tell Miguel tonight during their meeting before he took a couple of more steps towards Victoria until there was only less three inches between them when he picked up something from the woman's statement. "You called them rebels, not Los Olvidados," the Oceteva man smoothly stated before he countered, "I didn't call them rebels, so you aren't as clueless as you say."

Victoria mentally cursed herself with all the words in the book as she realized her simple mistake. The Miller woman wanted this conversation and the tension to end already but Victoria knew that wasn't going to be possible anytime soon now that the head of security for the Galindo cartel obviously thinks that she is lying by how close he was to her and the continuous conversation about the rebels. "Alright, fine. You caught me," Victoria mumbled as she knew the only way to get out of this was to just tell the truth. The Miller woman held up her right hand in the air as she explained, "but I only know about them from Angel. He mentioned that the club had heard that some of them were recently crossing the border and into California so Angel just told me to be careful when I'm by myself." Victoria shook her head as she promised, "I don't know anything about them besides the fact that they are dangerous."

The empty parking lot of Santo Padre Medical Center was silent for a couple of tense minutes as the Oceteva man tried to see if the brunette woman was telling the truth with his interrogation skills from the Navy and his work with the cartel before he finally nodded his head as he believed that she was telling the truth about not knowing about the Los Olvidados. Nestor realized that Victoria wasn't any type of danger to Miguel's business nor for Emily but he didn't want to walk away just yet so Nestor asked as he noticed the yawn escaping the woman's mouth, "do you want to join me for a coffee?" 

Victoria stared into the Oceteva man's brown irises with her brows deeply furrowed in disarray. She was beyond confused to how Nestor could go from basically threatening her for his boss to asking her out. Nestor Oceteva makes the Miller nurse feel tense and nervous when they are around each other but Victoria thought back to her conversation with Emily before she could decline his offer. Victoria remembered that the blonde woman wanted her to get along with her family and Victoria now realized that unfortunately also meant the man that Miguel obviously trusted with his wife's life so Victoria took a deep breath before she murmured quietly, "sure."

The nervous woman and the calm man silently walked over to the small coffee truck that was in front of Santo Padre Medical Center after Victoria agreed to Nestor's offer before the Oceteva man took charge and ordered two iced coffees to accompany the warm weather in Southern California. The Miller nurse and the Oceteva assassin then headed towards an empty bench that was a few feet away from the truck and in front of a small pond. 

"Thanks," Victoria nervously murmured as she carefully grabbed the iced coffee from Nestor's hand once they had taken a seat on the wooden bench. The Miller nurse then quickly placed her lips around the black straw as a tense silence began to overtake the small seating area while she was only a few inches away from the dangerous man that works for the Galindo cartel. Victoria was honestly starting to regret accepting Nestor's offer as she didn't know what she is supposed to say.  _I really wish Emily was here,_ the nervous woman anxiously thought as she knew her friend would be a perfect buffer right about now.

"So, Victoria," the Oceteva man began after about three or so more minutes of tense silence had passed by between the two recently introduced strangers as they both stared across at the dark pond in front of them with their iced coffees before Nestor curiously inquired as he turned his head and stared at the left side of the brunette woman's face, "how did a nurse get wrapped into this life?"

Victoria glanced over at the Oceteva man with a raised eyebrow as she was confused why she was being interrogated like this. There was no reason for Nestor to be asking her questions when she had already explained that she was no danger to the cartel which was Nestor's whole point of finding her tonight. However, Victoria had time to kill while she waited for Angel to show up so the Miller woman decided to humor the man as she answered his question with a small shrug, "it just happened." Victoria took a small sip of her caffeinated drink before she continued, "I was seventeen when I started getting closer to the Mayans thanks to my newly formed friendship with Angel and Coco. So, while I was getting my nursing degree, I just ended up getting wrapped into the club since I would help heal them and I never left. They are the only family I have known so they got stuck with me over the years."

"What happened to your parents or your siblings?" Nestor immediately questioned after he finished listening to Victoria's history of getting involved with the motorcycle club as he became engrossed in her story. The Oceteva man didn't exactly understand it himself, but he felt attached to the brunette woman - hence the reason why he was still hanging around with her instead of meeting with Miguel like he should be doing. 

Victoria couldn't help but to be startled by this question from the cartel assassin. It was definitely the last thing that the Miller woman expected to come out of Nestor's mouth as she didn't see how that was any of the Galindo's business - expect for Emily's since she is her friend and actually knows her history. However, Nestor is basically a stranger to Victoria, so she didn't understand why the man would want to know about her personal life.

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Victoria couldn't help but ask in a snarky voice after a minute or two of silence had passed between them and once she twisted her body so her back was leaning against the arm rest of the wooden bench and she was staring directly at the truly curious Oceteva man with a raised eyebrow. The Miller woman was beginning to become tense again like she usually was around Nestor as she was getting the feeling that she could say the wrong thing and end up dead.

A small smirk instantly slipped onto Nestor's lips at the attitude from the woman that is usually reserved around him. It was definitely something new and Nestor liked that Victoria was finally opening up instead of being so nervous. The Oceteva man then lifted up his right shoulder in a shrugging motion as he finally answered the awaiting woman's question in a calm and relaxed voice, "it could be." Nestor rose his right eyebrow with a questioning expression before he continued, "unless you have something better to do."

The Miller woman bit down on her bottom lip as she stared across at Nestor for a moment before she released a small sigh as Victoria knew if she disagreed then the man with the braids would think that she is hiding something seeing as she couldn't exactly leave the hospital's parking lot until Angel showed up. Victoria definitely didn't need the head of security of the Galindo cartel to think that, so the brunette nurse silently nodded her head in agreement before she murmured, "alright, fine. Shoot me with your best shot." The Miller woman's hazel eyes then instantly widened after she heard what came out of her mouth before she quickly and nervously corrected herself, "wait, no. That's not what I meant. I, um, don't shoot me just ask your question."

The Oceteva man released a small and deep chuckle as he watched the panic set into the woman's irises after her ironic statement to him, who uses a weapon on a daily basis. However, Nestor didn't want to scare the poor nurse away, so he placed a calm expression on his face before he told the woman in a friendly voice to hopefully ease her stress, "you can relax, Victoria. I'm not looking to kill you anytime soon." 

"Well, that's assuring," Victoria couldn't help but sarcastically mumble out as she immediately caught the  _'anytime soon,'_ from the man that could definitely kill her with the two guns strapped to the sides of his chest without a second thought. The Miller woman, however, in this moment didn't believe that Nestor would turn the deadly weapon on her so Victoria pushed away her nerves before she answered Nestor's previous question about her life, "I do have a sibling, but he's been locked up in Oakland for the last twelve years." Victoria took a slow and deep breath as she immediately imagined her older brother; Nathan, someone she hadn't thought about in years before she continued with a shrug of indifference, "and my parents are deadbeats. I haven't seen them since I was nineteen."

Nestor silently nodded his head as he listened to the Miller woman's answers, which definitely surprised and intrigued him. The Oceteva man was definitely shocked to find out that Victoria wasn't just this innocent pediatric nurse that accidentally got mixed in with the motorcycle club like he had originally thought. She instead had a dark past that Nestor wanted to know more about. "So, what did your brother do to get sent away for that long?" The Oceteva man curiously inquired. 

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she stared across at the man's steel brown eyes as she tried to figure out how to word her answer without letting out too much information about her estranged brother and the past that she wished to forget about before the Miller woman let out a small sigh and murmured, "well, uh, he's in for murder." Victoria knew her answer would raise more questions about Nathan's crime but Victoria was definitely not about to mention how her brother killed their father's friend and business partner. That was just something Victoria was not about to open up to someone that she barely knows as she almost didn't tell Ezekiel about it back when it happened. It was an old wound that didn't need to be opened when her brother is sacrificing his freedom for her in prison and that their father isn't around to cause her anymore pain with his 'buddies' like he did when she was a teenager. 

The Miller woman could tell Nestor was going to continue this line of questioning about her brother and the murder by the way he was basically on the edge of his seat, so Victoria placed a fake smile on her face as she tried her hardest to push away the nightmares of her childhood before she exclaimed, "I believe we are playing twenty questions, Mr. Oceteva, so that would mean that it's my turn to ask a question."

Nestor let out a small chuckle as he could see the attitude coming back into the Miller nurse but that didn't stop him from noticing the way that she was avoiding to talk about her brother's crime but Nestor would bring that up at a later time once he has Victoria's trust. Instead, the Oceteva man nodded his head in agreement before he lightly waved his right hand and told Victoria, "you're right, so ask away, Ms. Miller."

_Thank you, Jesus,_ the brunette woman instantly praised to the dark sky as she was beyond happy that they could move away from that part of her life that she didn't like to think about. Victoria then shot the head of security a small smile as she tried to think of a question that she was brave enough to ask to the dangerous man. The Miller woman was still coming up blank after a minute or two so Victoria took a long sip of her iced coffee as she tried to buy her some time before her hazel eyes slightly widened as she finally realized what she could ask. "How did you get involved with the Galindo's?" Victoria inquired as she figured it was the best and safest question since Nestor had basically asked her the same question about how she got involved with the Mayans.

"Miguel and I have always been best friends since we were growing up as children in Mexico," Nestor easily answered as he crossed his shiny black leather shoes at the ankles and relaxed his body against the wooden bench. The Oceteva man took a small drink from his iced coffee before he continued by carefully choosing his words and leaving out any information that could be somehow used against the cartel as he was still trying to see if he could trust the brunette woman, "but when Miguel came to America to attend college, I joined the Navy. It wasn't until about six years ago that we ran into each other and began to work together after Miguel took over the cartel once his father died."

Victoria couldn't help but to be surprised that Miguel hadn't always been involved with the cartel. She knew that Miguel had attended college in America thanks to Emily's story from this afternoon about how they met but the Miller woman had just always thought that Miguel had been apart of the family business all his life. Nestor's answer definitely put some things into perspective about her friend's husband and their life together as Victoria had figured Emily knew what she was being dragged into instead of the reality of Emily being pushed inside of the cartel life after she started a relationship with Miguel. The Miller woman was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that Nestor was in the military. However, Victoria knew that she shouldn't be that shocked by the way Nestor always carries himself and the soldier-like attitude he always has when it comes to the Galindo family like she saw this afternoon with Emily and when she saw him with Marcus and Miguel at the clubhouse. 

"Now, it's my turn," Nestor uttered after a couple minutes of tranquility had settled between them on the wooden bench while they stared across at the dark water as it was time for him to ask the brunette woman another question since apparently they are playing twenty questions. The Oceteva man studied every feature on Victoria's calm face to read her reaction to his question as he curiously asked, "what is your relation to Angel Reyes?" 

_And there it is,_ the Miller woman thought as she knew that she would be getting this question sooner or later from the Oceteva man. It was a question that she has been getting since she was eighteen and this time was no different. However, the question still was just as annoying as the first time, so Victoria couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes at the dangerous man and mumble, "of course you would ask about that." 

The Oceteva man let out a throaty laugh as he noticed the oddly cute scowl on the brunette nurse's face before he instantly held up the hand that wasn't holding his iced coffee and uttered innocently, "what?" Nestor shook his head in amusement before he explained why he had asked about the Mayan member, "I've noticed how protective he is about you - even when you aren't around." The brown eyed man slightly shrugged his shoulders as he concluded, "I'm just curious, that's all." 

"Mhmm," Victoria mumbled as she stared across at the head of security for the Galindo cartel while she tried to see if Nestor had another motive for wanting to know more about Angel. However, when Victoria could only find curiousness in his brown eyes, the Miller woman released a small sigh before she began like she always does when she gets this question about her relationship with the older Reyes, "Angel and I are just friends. We have a close relationship because of the shit we had to go through together during our younger years so we have always been connected at the hip." Victoria lightly shrugged her shoulders as she concluded, "Angel is my best friend but we have our 'couple' moments sometimes. I guess you can say we depend on one another and that's how our relationship has been for years. We've never have had any reason to go any further than that or step back so yeah, Angel can get protective like I do over him."

Nestor could immediately tell that Victoria's explanation wasn't the hundred percent truth by the way he had noticed how the older Reyes brother reacted at the clubhouse last week when they first saw the brunette woman and the way Angel became tense when Miguel mentioned Victoria yesterday during a meeting with the motorcycle club. The Oceteva man could tell that there is something more than just a friendly relationship between the nurse and the biker.

"Now, since we're asking about relationships," Victoria began as she wanted to draw this conversation away her relation to the older Reyes from the cartel assassin as it made her feel awkward and weird for some reason before she inquired with a raised eyebrow, "what is Miguel like?" The Miller woman figured this would help give her an idea about how her dinner will go with the Galindo couple as she was anxious without a date actually being set up yet. Miguel gave Victoria a scary vibe the first time that she met him, so the Miller woman wanted to prepare herself as much as she could.

"Well, Miguel and I are definitely not as close as you and Angel obviously are," the Oceteva man jabbed as he silently tried to figure out this relationship between the nurse and the biker without actually asking Victoria about it. Nestor didn't want to spook the brunette woman by interrogating her about it as he knew she would become closed off again like she has been during their first two meetings. 

Victoria couldn't help but throw her head back against the wooden bench with a throaty laugh before she turned her attention onto the Oceteva man beside her, who was surprisingly grinning in her direction, and murmured in amusement, "I'd hope not." The Miller woman shook her head as she added with a small smirk, "or Emily has some major competition."

Nestor rose his right eyebrow in amusement as he finally began to relax now that he knew that the brunette woman wasn't a threat to the Galindo cartel or Miguel's family with his arm tossed on the back of the wooden bench by Victoria's head and shoulders before he teased with a smirk of his own shining across his lips, "oh? Does that mean you find me attractive if you think I would be competition against Emily for Miguel's attention?"

Victoria's pale face instantly blushed beet red as she realized what she had insinuated by her statement which essentially made it seem like she was saying that Nestor is attractive.  _It's not a lie, though,_ the Miller woman thought as she would have to be blind to not see how attractive Nestor is with his strong arms almost busting out of his dark blue dress shirt along with the fact that a guy handling a weapon always makes Victoria feel some type of way - despite Nestor being a dangerous man for the cartel.

Finally and thankfully for the brunette nurse, Victoria jumped out of her embarrassment and her thoughts of the assassin's attractive features when she heard Nestor's heavy laughter fall throughout the dark night in front of the small pond. "Oh, shut up," Victoria mumbled with another round of embarrassment before she unconsciously slapped Nestor's thigh like she was speaking to an old friend before she commanded, "just answer the damn question."

The Oceteva man let out another sound of amusement but this time just a small chuckle while he stared over at the brunette woman as he enjoyed their time together. It was the first time in years that Nestor felt like a normal man. Yeah, he's had his one night stands over the years to help himself relax but with the Miller woman it was different. It was like Victoria brought out a calmer side of him that only Miguel could. Nestor wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad thing in his line of work but the Oceteva man decided to worry about that later. Instead, Nestor took another sip of his iced coffee before he finally answered Victoria's previous question, "Miguel is a complex person." 

Nestor took a quick pause for a moment as he tried to figure out how to word his best friend to the brunette woman as he knew she was just curious to who she would be meeting during her dinner with Emily and Miguel from the conversation he had listened to this afternoon at the small coffee shop. "The cartel is Miguel's life, so he's very serious over his business and will do whatever it takes to make sure the cartel continues to be successful no matter the cost or who gets hurt," the Oceteva man truthfully began again, "however, Emily and Cristobal are his world and family is very important to Miguel." Nestor let out a small chuckle before he told Victoria with a small smirk, "but you shouldn't have to worry too much during your dinner about being imitated or interrogated by Miguel. He's very different when he's around Emily and his son. It's like the cartel disappears when he's around his family."

Victoria silently nodded her head and murmured, "that makes sense." The Miller woman figured that Emily and little Cristobal would be Miguel's 'safe haven' where he can relax away from the cartel as Victoria couldn't see her old best friend being with someone that is only about business and not about his family since Emily's parents only cared about their company instead of caring for their only child when they were younger. 

The Miller woman couldn't help but to be glad that she wouldn't have to worry about Miguel asking questions about her connection to the Mayans, though, like she has been afraid of since she agreed to having dinner with him and Emily. She didn't want to walk into the wolf's den, so Nestor's answer helped calm Victoria a bit but she still felt this nervousness about having dinner with the head of the Galindo cartel. However, Victoria figured it was just because of all the stories that she had heard from Angel.  _It's not like I can back out now, anyway,_ the Miller nurse thought while she took a sip of her iced coffee as she didn't want to disappoint Emily or lose her old friend again. Victoria just had to make sure that her guard is up around the cartel leader.

The bench in front of the small pond that was beside the local hospital and the coffee truck was silent for a few minutes as the nurse and the assassin enjoyed the silence before the Oceteva man turned his gaze back onto the brunette woman and stated, "I heard from Emily that you did plan on leaving this town when you were younger but you never did." Nestor rose an eyebrow as he curiously wondered, "so, do you think that you'll ever actually leave Santo Padre now that your friend EZ is back?"

"Wow," Victoria mumbled in surprise before she joked with a soft chuckle as she was not expecting this question at all, "bringing out the deep questions, aren't you, huh?" Nestor's question, however, was something that Victoria had never even thought about, so the Miller woman instantly shook her head without a second thought. "The Reyes men, besides the MC, have always been the only family that has ever cared and loved for me," Victoria stated with a soft smile before she explained, "yeah, I did originally want to leave straight out of high school but when I decided to stay and help Felipe Reyes while EZ was in prison, I knew I could never leave. The three men had shaped the person I am today, so leaving has never crossed my mind in years."

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he could see that from the two previous times that he had met the brunette woman. Nestor had noticed, now that he thought about it, when he and Miguel were at the Mayans' clubhouse with Marcus that both of the Reyes brothers were very close to Victoria in a protective manner when they had showed up and also when the nurse was leaving as the older Reyes wouldn't take his eyes off of the woman until she left while also being tense throughout the whole meeting. Nestor could also see how much Victoria cared about the siblings as well by the way she talked about them at the coffee shop with Emily. So the Oceteva man could see why Victoria wouldn't want to leave her hometown, no matter how bad it gets, because of the Reyes men that were obviously more her family than her actual ones that she had told him about during one of his first questions. 

"You mentioned earlier that you were in the Navy," Victoria stated as she moved on to her next question once she realized Nestor wasn't going to comment on her answer about ever leaving Santo Padre. "What was your job or duty when you were serving in the military?" The Miller woman curiously inquired. Victoria was very interested in what Nestor did while in the Navy as he didn't seem like the type of person to do such a thing when he's working with the cartel so Victoria wanted to know what he was like back then.

"I was an intelligence specialist for four years before becoming an intelligence officer. I got a degree in communications when I was nineteen while I was stationed overseas in Afghanistan during my first tour," Nestor easily began to explain his military career that took place in his late teens and early twenties. "It took about three years after I got my degree before I was leading my own squadron on the USS Avenger, where we helped take down seven camps of the biggest Islamic organizations over my thirteen year career," the Oceteva man proudly stated with a barely noticeable smile across his lips as he recalled his days in the Navy. 

"Wow," Victoria couldn't help but impressively murmur with a hint of surprise in her voice as she definitely wasn't imagining that. The Miller woman had figured that Nestor would have been a sailor on enemy lines like a Navy Seal by the way that he carries himself with his weapons easily strapped to his chest so she was pleasantly surprised to know that he led his own team and did a lot for their country. However, the fact that the Oceteva man was an intelligence officer began to make Victoria realize it was the perfect fit since Nestor would have a lot of connections and abilities to help Miguel keep the Galindo cartel in tip top shape as the head of security. 

The Oceteva man decided to keep the conversation on their careers so once he took a small sip of his iced coffee, Nestor turned his attention back onto Victoria before he asked his next question - thanks to the information that he got from Emily along with the hospital receptionist when he had asked about the brunette nurse earlier this afternoon, "since you work as a pediatric nurse, have you ever thought of having your own?"

Victoria thought about the question for a moment before she nodded her head as she uttered, "yeah, of course." The Miller woman glanced into Nestor's brown eyes before she continued, "I mean, that's one of the reasons why I picked the pediatric department. I've always loved taking care of children so I wouldn't mind having my own someday." The brunette nurse then released a small sigh before she murmured, "but it's difficult to do so with the life I live. I don't think it would be right to bring a child around my life when I'm always busy at the hospital and being surrounded by the Mayans." Victoria quickly rose her hand as she instantly defended the motorcycle club, "but don't get me wrong, I love the MC and all they have done for me. But after one of their enemies came after me a few years ago, I pushed the dream of having a child away."

Nestor could understand the Miller woman's answer as he is surrounded by the same terror that she sees. However, the one thing that the Oceteva man didn't think would come out of Victoria's mouth was her last statement. "You've been attacked?" Nestor couldn't help but ask with a tight voice even though it wasn't his turn in their exchange of questions.

"Yep," Victoria emotionlessly mumbled out as she slowly began to get quick flashbacks to the night from a couple of years ago with the local street gang that were pissed off at Bishop and their drug deal. The Miller woman usually didn't know about the club's business but that was one of the times that she did since she was so shaken up. "The Dogwood gang had showed up at the clubhouse when I was there one night and they followed me home when they didn't get their way with the club," Victoria began to explain as she anxiously played with the lid of her iced coffee, "but thankfully Angel and Coco arrived just in time."

Victoria could tell that Nestor wanted to know more details during her first and only attack with the motorcycle club and Victoria didn't exactly feel like reliving that night where she got a gun to the face along with a black eye, so the Miller woman quickly shot the brown eyed man a small smile and murmured, "anyways," before she asked her next question since it was technically her turn, "you don't find it boring to be head of security for the Galindo's after working in a war zone for all those years in the military?" 

The Oceteva man shook his head with an amused chuckle before he began to answer the brunette woman's question, "working with the cartel is anything but boring." Nestor took a sip of his iced coffee before he explained once he noticed the confused expression on Victoria's face, "there's not that much of a difference between my work with the cartel and the Navy. I'm still leading a team of soldiers towards a cause." The assassin let a small smirk lift onto his lips as he joked, "the only real difference is that I'm always on land instead of on the ocean and in a ship."

"Ha ha, real funny," Victoria sarcastically mumbled with a roll of her hazel eyes at the Oceteva man's try of making a joke as if she was talking with a close friend. The Miller woman had realized that she was really starting to come around to the cartel assassin as she noticed her sarcasm coming out that only happened around the Mayans. Victoria, however, didn't know if that was a good or bad thing as she had planned to not even befriend the Oceteva man since she knew he's dangerous. But Victoria couldn't help but to feel more comfortable around the weapon-wearing man. 

Nestor let a small and real smile lift onto his lips at their easy back and forth jabs while he stared across at the brunette woman with absolute calmness in his usually hard brown eyes. The Oceteva man hadn't felt this emotion, calmness and a sense of tranquility, in awhile which was such a breath of fresh air for the cartel assassin that deals with constant death and destruction on a daily basis. It was nice and Nestor didn't want it to end anytime soon, so the Oceteva man came up with another question that he was curious about from the information that Victoria had gave him, "when you aren't saving babies and babysitting the Mayans, what do you like to do with your off time?"

Victoria couldn't help but release a small chuckle with a shake of her head as Nestor described her day and night job. The Miller woman couldn't deny as that was basically what she does everyday, so Victoria pushed his taunting to the local motorcycle club like they were children away as she finished the rest of her iced coffee. The brunette nurse tossed her empty cup in the trashcan beside her before she answered Nestor's question after a moment of thinking, "well, when I'm not at the hospital, clubhouse, or helping out at the butcher shop I like to explore the city." Victoria rolled her hazel eyes when she saw Nestor raise an eyebrow before she explained with a wave of her hand, "yeah, yeah, I know. I've lived here my entire life but I just like seeing the culture. It always makes me realize that no matter how bad shit gets in my life, there will always be beauty surrounding me." The Miller woman's face then immediately blushed beet red as she realized what she said before she mumbled, "I know that is so fucking cliche." Victoria pointed at Nestor with a small smile lifting onto her lips as she begged, "don't laugh at me."

The Oceteva man instantly lifted both of his arms in the air like an innocent person would with a large grin spread across his lips before he told the brunette woman, "no, no. I won't laugh." However, though, a second later only passed before Nestor busted out in a heavy laughter - which caused Victoria to join in. The two acquaintances laughed together for a short moment before the Oceteva man placed his hand lightly on Victoria's scrubs-covered thigh before he told her, "but honestly, it's nice. I can see why you would think that when you are so busy with sick kids and bikers. It's not stupid, I promise." 

Victoria looked across at Nestor for a moment as she tried to see if he was going to make fun of her before she mumbled, "mhmm. Sure." The Miller woman couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as she could see the small smirk on the man's face before she continued with what she likes to do on her off time, "I also like to try new foods. I'm busy a lot so I'm always just picking something quick and easy - unless Felipe convinces me to stay for dinner after work, so I always try to find new restaurants when I have the time."

Nestor immediately shook his head as he was not going to accept that answer. "What about hobbies?" The Oceteva man questioned as he couldn't see the nurse going to a busy and loud restaurant to relax after a long day. "I mean, come on, Victoria," Nestor exclaimed, "that's not really relaxing besides eating your way to a food coma." The cartel assassin let out a small chuckle before he questioned, "what is your absolute favorite thing to do, no matter how embarrassing, when you want to relax and forget everything?"

Victoria grumbled under her breath at the fact that the brown eyed man wasn't letting up when she was already embarrassed from her first answer. "What about you, Mr. hotshot?" The Miller woman stubbornly interrogated as she crossed her arms over her light blue scrubs. Victoria shook her head as she exclaimed, "I'm not tell you my embarrassing hobby until you tell me yours."

Nestor let an amused grin spread across his lips as he inquired, "so, you'll tell me yours if I tell you mine?" Once the Oceteva man saw the brunette woman quickly nod her head, Nestor let out a small chuckle at her way of putting off answering his question before he let out a barely noticeable sigh and quietly murmured his personal hobby, "when I'm not busy with the cartel, well, I like to paint."

Victoria's hazel eyes slightly widened in surprise as she wasn't expecting the calm and dedicated craft to be how the cartel assassin relaxes before she voiced her shock, "really?" The Miller woman let out a soft chuckle as she couldn't believe that out of everything that painting was Nestor's hobby as she figured it would have been drinking or going to the shooting range. "What is it that you like to paint?" Victoria inquired after a moment once she got over her shock as she was actually curious about Nestor's hobby.

Nestor let a small smile work it's way onto his lips as he watched the many facial expressions of the pediatric nurse before he answered her question as he pictured the canvases that he has in his house, "I enjoy painting landscapes the most - like the places I have seen and been to over my military career and while working with the cartel." The Oceteva man then swiftly exclaimed, once he noticed the brunette woman was about to open her mouth, "now stop avoiding the question, Ms. Miller." Nestor rose his right eyebrow at Victoria before he questioned once more, "what is your hobby?" 

Victoria released a heavy sigh as she realized that she wasn't going to be able to get out of this one before she murmured as she held out her point and middle finger, "I have two." The Miller woman shook her head as she explained, "one is super embarrassing for me and the other one is pretty normal." Victoria figured that she would rather start with the one that wouldn't cause her face to flush red as she began to describe her hobby, "my normal one is the fact that I draw up tattoos for some of the local tattoo shops around California." A tiny grin unconsciously slipped onto Victoria's face as she continued, "I've always have had a passion for drawing and I have always loved the art of tattoos ever since I got my first one at nineteen." The Miller woman lifted up her long sleeve shirt that was under her scrubs on her left arm as she showed Nestor her dream catcher tattoo before she let out a small chuckle and stated, "I'm also a tattoo artist in training."

The Oceteva man rose both of his eyebrows to the top of his forehead in surprise that the nurse, who takes care of babies and children on the regular, was into tattoos and actually freelances during her off time to tattoo parlors that helps her relax from her busy life. "Really?" Nestor questioned as he was very curious about this hobby of the Miller woman's while he stared down at the large, detailed tattoo on her forearm.

"Yep," Victoria proudly exclaimed with a large grin across her face as she always loved getting that reaction from people when she would tell them what she likes to do. It had been a passion of hers since Mama M passed away and Ezekiel went to prison as it was an outlet for her. Victoria at first only drawled for herself until people had told her how good she was . However, when Angel had convinced her to give him a miniature tattoo of the Mayans MC logo on his chest that is when she actually started to get serious about it. "I have a friend out in Charming that helps me hone my craft as a tattoo artist," Victoria explained as she thought about her tattoo-covered friend before she uttered with a small shrug, "he lets me practice on his body when he's in town, so I'd say I'm not that bad at it."

"Wow," Nestor murmured as he shook his head with a small chuckle while he stared directly into Victoria's hazel eyes before he softly commented, "you're just full of surprises." It took the Oceteva man a couple of seconds to shake himself out of their staring contest before he told Victoria with a cheeky grin, "maybe I'll let you tattoo me someday."

Victoria let out a throaty laugh as she rolled her hazel eyes. "Yeah, right," the Miller woman exclaimed as she pushed Nestor's offer to the very back of her mind. Tattooing on bikers was like paddy-cake for the pediatric nurse but Victoria felt like she would be a nervous wreck tattooing a cartel member. 

"What?" Nestor questioned with amusement shining in his brown eyes as he could see the nerves wracking the brunette woman. The Oceteva man then moved the collar of his dark blue shirt to the side and showed Victoria the tattoo on the side of his neck as he told her why he would offer her the opportunity to tattoo him, "this one right here, Miguel did it before we both went our separate ways with him going to college and me going into the Navy." 

Victoria's nerves immediately disappeared as soon as she had a closer look at the ink that she had noticed on the Oceteva man's neck. The curious and the artist part of her was definitely peaked that she didn't even realize that she had moved down the wooden bench until her thigh was touching Nestor's before Victoria slowly brought her hand up to the black-colored tattoo. Victoria then lightly as a feather ran her point finger across the cursive 'p' but swiftly pulled her hand away once she realized what she was doing. The Miller woman's face instantly blushed bright red before she loudly cleared her throat as she slid back to her original spot and complimented the artwork, "it's looks pretty good for a beginner - especially for a young Miguel."

The Oceteva man couldn't help the large smirk that rose onto his face as he watched the embarrassed expression that Victoria was sporting as he found it amusing how many expressions that he can make the Miller woman go through. However, Nestor decided to not to tease her anymore about how close they had been, despite the warm feeling he had, as he turned the conversation back onto Victoria as he questioned, "now what is this embarrassing hobby of yours?"

"You are not gonna let this go," Victoria groaned out as she threw her head back. The Miller woman stayed like that for a moment with her eyes closed before she took a quick peek at Nestor and let out another groan when she saw him grinning at her. "Ugh, fine," Victoria mumbled before she finally gave him the answer that he wanted, "my most embarrassing hobby is the fact that I love to roller skate." The pediatric nurse threw her hands in the air before she exclaimed now that the cat is out of the bag, "I'm a grown ass woman and I will gladly run down any teenager at the skating rink if they get in my way."

Nestor let out a heavy laughter while he watched a beet red blush reach Victoria's cheeks once again as he was not expecting the pediatric nurse/tattoo-artist to be an active skater. "Remind me to not get in your way," the Oceteva man joked before he promised with a slightly smile, "by the way, it's not embarrassing." Nestor shook his head as he bumped his shoulder with Victoria's as he whispered with a hint of teasing in his voice, "badass but not embarrassing." Once the cartel assassin could calm his amusement enough to speak again after a minute or two, Nestor stared into Victoria's hazel eyes as he curiously wondered, "so why is skating your outlet to relax?"

Victoria awkwardly cleared her throat as she quickly tried to push away her embarrassment of telling Nestor, someone that she had barely gotten to know in the last fifteen minutes, before she explained with a soft smile on her face as she recalled how she fell in love with skating, "when I was younger, I never liked to be home with my parents and I wasn't exactly the fastest runner, so Em and I saw these skates in this resale shop on our way home from school when we were fourteen and I've loved it ever sense." Victoria stared across at the dark water for a moment as bad memories slowly crept into her mind before she continued her explanation, "it was my way to runaway without actually doing it. It always made me feel alive by speeding down the streets at this incredible speed. The bruises and scrapes that came from fun instead of my home life was always worth it." 

The Oceteva man couldn't help but catch the way Victoria let out the small piece of information about her home life - that she had kept under a tight wrap all night long after she spoken about her imprisoned brother. Nestor figured this was the chance that he needed to follow-up on the Miller woman's personal life now that she was slipping up so the cartel assassin swiftly and calmly questioned, "what did you have to run away from at home?"

Victoria's body immediately went rigid as she realized that she had let out too much information about part of her history that she rarely likes to think or talk about. The brunette woman mentally cursed herself for letting her lips get loose like that as she didn't even talk to Angel about her childhood in the Miller house and she definitely wasn't going to talk about it with her new acquaintance. So instead of answering Nestor's question, Victoria completely ignored it as she asked the one question that had been bothering her all night, "so why did you want to ask all these questions about me and my life? What does Miguel have to gain from the knowledge of my hobbies and ambitions?" 

Nestor lifted up his shoulders in a shrugging motion before he simply uttered the truth, "this isn't for Miguel." The head of security for the Galindo cartel had originally came to the hospital to gain information for Miguel but after Nestor had realized the nurse wasn't a threat to their organization nor to Miguel's family, Nestor couldn't help but want to get to know the woman that had been on his mind since seeing her inside of the Mayans clubhouse. The Oceteva man then shot the pediatric nurse a small smile once he noticed the confused expression on her face before he explained, "I find you intriguing, Victoria Miller."

Victoria stared across at the Oceteva man with her brows deeply furrowed as she didn't understand why he would be so interested in her if he wasn't doing it as task for Miguel. However, before the Miller woman could voice her confusion and ask what he meant by that, the brunette nurse immediately picked up on the loud and familiar sound of a motorcycle heading in their direction. Victoria swiftly stood up from the bench at the noise and turned around, where she noticed Angel turning off his motorcycle before he headed towards them with an unreadable expression on his face. Victoria figured it had something to do with the club, so she didn't voice her worry like she wanted. Instead Victoria walked around the bench and exclaimed with a small smile, "hey! You're finally here."

The older Reyes didn't say anything like Victoria was used to when he would show up. Instead, Angel walked straight towards the Miller woman like a man on a mission before he swiftly pulled the brunette nurse into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around Victoria's lower waist while he glared at the now standing cartel assassin. The Mayans member stood like that for a moment as he ran his fingers across Victoria's waist before he pulled away and glanced down at the watch on his wrist and finally spoke as he exclaimed, "I still have seven minutes to spare, princesa." Angel shot the brunette woman a cocky smirk as he reminded her of their deal before he placed his right hand along Victoria's soft cheek before he pulled her into a passionate and jealousy filled kiss. The Reyes man and the Miller woman finally pulled away from each other once Angel couldn't breath before he uttered loudly enough for the cartel assassin to hear, "come on, mi amor. Let's go home before I take you right here."

Victoria's pale face instantly blushed deep red as she realized that Angel had said that in front of Nestor. The Miller woman didn't know why but she felt embarrassed by the fact that the Oceteva man heard hers and Angel's private moment - even though she and Angel are always very touchy in front of the Mayans and she never gets embarrassed like this. However, Victoria decided to not think about it too much. Instead, she nodded her head in agreement with Angel before she turned around and faced the silent Oceteva man. "It was nice talking with you, Nestor," the pediatric nurse praised with a small smile before she joked, "thanks for the coffee and for making me forget about my shitty car." 

A barely noticeable smile lifted onto Nestor's face for only half of a second before the cartel assassin nodded his head and emotionlessly uttered, "you're welcome." Nestor took a couple of steps around the wooden bench until he was standing directly in front of the brunette woman before he murmured softly, "until next time, Ms. Miller." The Oceteva man then turned his attention onto the tense Angel, who was holding a tight grip on Victoria's waist, and stared at the biker for a moment before he finally took his leave into the dark shadows of the parking lot of Santo Padre Medical Center.

The Miller woman watched until she couldn't see Nestor any longer before she turned her attention on the abnormally rigid Angel Reyes. "Hey," Victoria softly uttered as she placed her warm hand on the biker's cheek before she worriedly wondered, "are you okay? Did something happen with the club?" The brunette nurse knew that Angel was usually tense when something was going on with the Mayans, so she figured that was what was happening right now.

Angel silently shook his head as he assured the brunette woman that nothing was wrong before he grabbed Victoria's hand from his cheek and placed a soft kiss onto her palm. "The club is fine," the Reyes man promised before he explained after he took a quick glance at the direction the assassin had went, "I just don't trust the cartel - especially around you, princesa." Angel then wrapped his arms tightly around Victoria's waist once again before he stated with his lips only a few centimeters away from Victoria's, "I just want to spend the rest of my night with my favorite girl."

A bright smile instantly lifted onto Victoria's mouth at Angel's cheesy words before she closed the distance between them and placed her soft lips against the Reyes man's rough ones. The kiss didn't last as long as the first one before Victoria pulled away with a a step back after she murmured a soft, "okay." The Miller woman shot Angel a small smirk while she headed towards his motorcycle as she called out when she didn't hear the loud footsteps of his boots, "come on now, Mr. Reyes. I think I owe you something."

Angel shook his head in amusement at the pediatric nurse as he mumbled to himself, "you're just something else, Vic." The Mayans biker then quickly jogged towards his ride and the brunette beauty as Victoria's words sparked that excited part of him that was on full display when he had first got her call at the promise of his reward. Once Angel reached his motorcycle, he quickly jumped on his ride and started it up before he left the hospital in the dust as he and Victoria rode through the dark and calm streets of Santo Padre.

The Reyes man and the Miller woman ended up taking a detour, thanks to the pediatric nurse begging for a chocolate milkshake from Nookie's Diner, so the usual fifteen minutes to Victoria's house from her workplace ended up taking thirty minutes. However, Angel didn't mind the wait as he loved when he got to be the reason for the smile on the brunette woman's face - plus the sex was always better with all the waiting and needing.

The Miller woman let out a groan once she swung her legs off of Angel's motorcycle after he parked in her driveway as her body was sore from her long shift at the hospital along with riding on the bumpy ride through town. However, Victoria knew that it was just her body that was reacting to a long day and that she wasn't actually tired. The brunette was very thankful for that as she knew Angel was about to make her even more sore by the way that he had been whispering to her at the diner that immediately got her worked up. 

"Hey," Angel called out, which instantly brought Victoria out of her aroused thoughts. Once the older Reyes had the pediatric nurse's attention, he pointed his head towards the house and explained, "I'm gonna make sure all the doors and windows are secure around back real quick." It was Angel's usual routine when he would stay the night at Victoria's house - which was almost every single night. The biker was still cautious and careful when it came to Victoria's safety after the Dogwood incident. 

Victoria nodded her head with a soft smile as she murmured, "okay." The Miller woman then grabbed her purse from the compartment on Angel's motorcycle before she headed up onto her large and white porch. Once Victoria had walked up on the stairs, she began to dig around in the pocket of her light blue scrub top before she found her keys. The brunette woman smiled once she found the right key out of the set before she looked up towards her front door. However, before Victoria could unlock the door and enter her house, she noticed a small black box leaning against the threshold of the entrance.

The Miller woman furrowed her brows in confusion as she didn't understand why she was receiving a package when she had checked the mail after she dropped off the groceries and alcohol this afternoon and this was definitely not waiting for her. Victoria shrugged her shoulders as she couldn't come up with an explanation before she picked up the package from the step in front of her door. The Miller woman carefully opened the square and thin box, where she instantly noticed the small dream catcher that she had been gazing at earlier in the day. 

Victoria stared down at the dream catcher with her brows furrowed even more than they originally were as she couldn't understand why this would be here when she didn't mention it to anyone.  _It sure is beautiful,_ the brunette woman couldn't help but to admire the feathers and beads on the dream catcher as she lifted up the item from the black box. However, before Victoria could inspect and admire it even more, she noticed inside of the box laid a sliver of paper. 

_'I noticed you didn't get the chance to buy this. I hope it helps to keep the nightmares away._

_It was nice to get to know you more, secret skater._

_Until next time - N.'_

"Wow," Victoria couldn't help but murmur to herself once she placed the note back into the box along with the small dream catcher. The Miller woman was surprised that Nestor had went out of his way and bought the item for her after one evening together of getting to know one another. "You are just full of surprises," Victoria mumbled as she gazed down at the beautiful dream catcher. The brunette nurse felt like every second that she is around the Oceteva man that she sees a different side of him that she had originally judged him for his work with the cartel instead of the man that he actually was, who loved to paint and joke around. 

"Hey," the Reyes man uttered as he interrupted Victoria's thoughts about the head of security for the Galindo cartel while he loudly trotted up the steps of the porch with his heavy combat boots. Angel glanced over Victoria's shoulder to see what she was holding before he curiously wondered after placing a soft, feather-like kiss onto the brunette woman's neck, "who's that from?"

The Miller woman quickly placed the lid back onto the box when she heard and felt Angel behind her before she turned around in his arms and partly lied as she didn't want to start an argument that she knew would come if she told Angel the truth about the fact that it came from the man that he seemed to dislike lately, "oh, I ordered a dream catcher during my lunch break this afternoon." Victoria shook her head with a small chuckle, "I totally forgot about it." The Miller woman then stuck the small box into her purse that was hanging off her right arm and pushed her thoughts of Nestor along with his kind act to the back of her mind before she shot Angel a large smirk and asked as she brought her arms around Angel's neck, "now, what is that you want me to do for you, Mr. Reyes?"

A large smirk instantly lifted onto Angel's lips when Victoria mentioned the deal that they had before he surprised the brunette woman by quickly bending down and lifting Victoria up by her thighs, which immediately caused the pediatric nurse to wrap her legs tightly around his waist. "Espero que no vayas a trabajar mañana porque estarás muy dolido cuando termine contigo, cariño,"[ _I hope you don't have work tomorrow because you will be very sore when I'm finished with you, sweetheart,"]_  the Reyes man whispered into the shell of Victoria's ear once he opened up the front door of her house before he began to walk towards Victoria's bedroom with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Victoria couldn't help but let out a loud giggle as Angel carried her around the house until she felt her back hit the soft material of her king sized bed. The Miller woman watched as the Reyes biker swiftly shed his Mayans kutte onto the chair behind him before he removed his white v-neck shirt with arousal in her hazel eyes as she admired Angel's tattooed and chiseled chest.  _This is the perfect way to end a long night,_ the brunette nurse thought as her mind instantly erased her conflicted thoughts of Nestor, who was supposed to be the enemy in her life, along with her shitty, broken down car that originally had put a damper on her mood. Instead, Victoria's thoughts were solely focused on the attractive man in front of her as Angel brought her into a fierce and passionate kiss that definitely would be only the beginning of their lustful night together. 


	7. Trip To Charming

It was around one in the afternoon when Victoria was just opening the front door of her house for the first time on her day off from the hospital with a thick sketchbook under her arm while she had her black leather shoulder purse lazily hanging off of her arm as she was running a little behind to an appointment down in Charming to consult on a tattoo. However, when Victoria opened the door all the way, she instantly spotted Nestor walking up to her from his black Escalade. 

The Miller woman's hazel eyes slightly widened in surprise at seeing the cartel assassin as she wasn't expecting the Oceteva man to just randomly show up at her house. "Uh, hey," Victoria finally greeted the man with an awkward smile once she had locked her front door and fully faced him. "What are you doing here?" The brunette woman curiously wondered as she walked the few steps towards the brown eyed man.

Nestor gave the brunette woman a small smile as he relaxingly linked his fingers in front of his black slacks before he told Victoria, "I told you I would be seeing you soon." The Oceteva man then pointed his head over towards the black vehicle behind him before he requested as the cartel assassin liked the idea of hanging with the brunette woman, "I would like for you to join me today."

Victoria fixed the leather purse over her shoulder and placed the sketchbook in front of her white flowing tank top before she looked at Nestor with a raised eyebrow as she found it amusing and surprising that the Oceteva man wanted to hang out with her after last night. The Miller woman enjoyed their time together outside the hospital but it was the fact that they were on two different sides. "You know, we're not exactly supposed to be friends," Victoria mentioned her thought process as she walked to stand beside the man, "with you being involved with the cartel and with me being involved with the MC." The brunette woman released a small chuckle before she added, "not to mention that Angel doesn't exactly like you nor does he like me being around the cartel."

The Oceteva man leaned his side against the black vehicle behind them and crossed his arms over his black button up shirt while he watched the brunette woman in amusement. "I thought you were in control of your life?" Nestor questioned with false confusion showing across his face with his brows deeply furrowed. The cartel assassin let out a small chuckle when he saw the woman roll her hazel eyes before he told her truthfully, "I don't really care what the clingy, protective biker has to say." Nestor lightly shrugged his shoulders before he shot Victoria a dazzling smile and requested, "so, how about we forget about all that." The brunette assassin then held out his right hand as he stated, "I'm just a man and you're just a woman that find themselves together on this sunny day."

The Miller woman couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as the deadly assassin was trying to convince her to hang out with him like they were normal people and weren't actually on opposite sides of the cartel and the motorcycle club. However, the offer did sound appealing but as Victoria felt her cell phone vibrate in her purse, it reminded her that she was busy today. "I would love to be that woman but I just can't," Victoria told Nestor with a small smile as she shook her head before she explained, "I have to get to a tattoo consult."

Nestor slowly brought his hand back to his side when the brunette woman didn't agree with his plan before he swiftly came up with another one to spend time with the woman that he couldn't get out of his head. "Let me take you," the Oceteva man basically demanded as he waved his hand towards the black Escalade behind them.

Victoria rose an eyebrow at the cartel assassin as she was completely surprised that Nestor was willing to come with her just for them to hang out with each other. "Really? Are you sure?" The brunette woman inquired as she decided to humor the Oceteva man. "I mean, the place where I'm going is about an hour and a half away and it might take awhile," Victoria told Nestor so he could know what he was getting himself into. 

"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't serious," the Oceteva man told the brunette woman before he held out his hand once more and asked with a cheeky grin playing on his lips while he also added, "so, what do you say? I'll join you and we'll just be two normal people then once you're finished, I'll take you out to do something fun and very normal - like we are."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes and mumbled, "we are far from normal, Mr. right-hand-man-to-the cartel." The Miller woman then placed her hand into Nestor's as he continued to hold his arm out and shook his hand while he continued to stare at her with his steel but soft brown eyes before she muttered as she agreed with his plan, "alright, fine. We're just two regular people."

Nestor shot the brunette woman a grin and murmured, "good," before he swiftly pulled Victoria until they were almost chest to chest. The Oceteva man stared into Victoria's hazel eyes for a silent moment and murmured, "let's go," before he walked the brunette woman to the passenger door while still holding onto her hand. Nestor then opened up the door for the nurse before he sadly but finally released Victoria's warm hand and allowed for her to enter before he closed the door behind her.

Victoria couldn't help but silently watch Nestor as he walked around the black vehicle before he also got inside and started up the car as she kept on getting surprised by the cartel assassin. He always made her feel some type of way that the Miller woman couldn't explain. Nestor was supposed to be this dangerous man that she is supposed to be afraid of but here Victoria was, basically friends with the guy that she barely knows like it was a normal thing for her. 

"So, where do you need to go for your consult?" The Oceteva man wondered as he took a quick glance at the brunette woman next to him once he passed the, 'Leaving Santo Padre,' sign after about twenty minutes of them driving in the black Escalade in a comfortable silence - which also jumped Victoria out of her thoughts about the man beside her. 

Victoria slightly flinched at the voice as she was so lost in her mind before she gave the Oceteva man a small smile. "You just need to stay on Interstate 405 for about thirty minutes before you'll see the sign for Charming," the brunette woman directed Nestor to the place that was very familiar for her by how many times that she had been in the small town.

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he had passed through the small town a few times for Miguel before he merged onto the interstate and began to drive down the long stretch of road. The black Escalade stayed in a comfortable silence between the pretending normal man and woman before Nestor broke the tranquility after about twenty minutes when he glanced over to the brunette woman, who was looking through her sketchbook. "You mentioned that you've never left Santo Padre, but you're obviously familiar with this town and you said you would go to local tattoo shops around California, so have you ever traveled anywhere else?" Nestor curiously inquired as he remembered what the brunette woman had said yesterday during their game of twenty questions. 

Victoria glanced up from her page that had several tattoo designs of the drawing for her client to choose from before she closed the sketchbook and answered the Oceteva man's question with a shake of her head, "I've never actually left Cali." The Miller woman let out a humorless chuckle as she stated, "my family was poor when I was growing up, plus my parents were never home, so I never really got the chance." The Miller woman shrugged her shoulders as she was indifferent before she muttered, "I've been to just about every city in California but I've never left. It's like I'm stuck here." Victoria then quickly corrected herself with another shake of her head, "actually, that's a lie. I've been to Mexico a few times with Ange but that's about it." 

Victoria just realized how sad that it was now that she said it out loud. It never really bothered her that she was almost thirty years old and she has never even left the state that she was born in - except, of course, the times that she has gone to Mexico which was only three times. The Miller woman only cared about protecting and caring for her family, the Reyes family, not her real one, so she never really saw any reason to actually leave California. However, Victoria felt like she was missing out on the adventure of exploring and it was something that she craved.

"What was your family like?" The Oceteva man carefully questioned while also jumping the Miller woman out of her running thoughts about the missed opportunities of traveling the world like she could have done while in college. Nestor knew he could fuck up the calmness between them by bringing up her family again but he wanted to know more about the intriguing woman. 

Victoria let out a heavy sigh as she moved her hazel eyes over to the deserts that they passed while driving towards Charming before she decided to open herself up by a tad as she felt like she could trust the Oceteva man. "My mother worked the streets for a living and my father sold drugs along with other illegal things," the Miller woman quietly uttered as she left out the fact that her father used to have his business associates visit her as a teenager for a price. But that was something that she would never talk about again as long as she lived unless there was the off chance that her father came back into her life and she had to tell someone, other than Ezekiel - who knows, about the horrible things that her father had let his friends do to her. 

"So, how about you?" The Miller woman quickly inquired as she wanted to move away from this conversation about her family before the old memories could reach her brain and ruin her day off from the hospital. "You must have traveled a lot while you were in Navy," Victoria commented before she curiously wondered, "what are some of the places that you've been?" 

Nestor tapped his fingers against the black leather steering wheel as a small smile lifted onto his lips as he recalled his travels over the years while also letting the conversation go about the woman's family as he could tell that she didn't like speaking about them and Nestor wasn't going to force it out of Victoria when she finally opened up to him. "I've been to a lot of different countries while I was serving," the Oceteva man stated as he focused on the brunette woman's question. Nestor took a quick glance over to Victoria before he focused back onto the road and uttered, "but the one place that I really liked was Tahiti when we were looking for a local extremist group in Pape'ete."

"Really?" The Miller woman wondered in surprise as she wasn't picturing an island like that to one of the Oceteva man's favorite places out of his whole Navy career. "What did you like about Tahiti?" Victoria inquired as she turned her body to the side, so her back was leaning against the passenger door and so she was staring directly at Nestor as she was very interested since she's never even left the state of California - other than Mexico.

 Nestor released a small but happy sigh as he remembered the island before he explained just as the Oceteva man noticed the wooden sign that welcomed them to the small town of Charming, "I fell in love with the ocean the second I got stationed. It was always very calming during war times." The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman a small smile when he glanced over to her before he continued, "when I was growing up in Mexico, I was only used to the dark colored beaches along with the ones in Galveston when we used to visit my uncle in Texas, so seeing that clear water for the first time was an eyeopening experience for me that I always remember."

Victoria nodded her head in understanding as she knew from experience about the dull waters before she voiced her thoughts, "yeah, the beaches I've been to like in Santa Cruz and Los Angeles are usually dark, so I've never seen any clear waters like that." The Miller woman let out a small chuckle as she could only picture a response like that before she murmured, "I'd probably have the same reaction." Victoria then looked around the streets as she thought about seeing clear water for the first time before she swiftly pointed towards a familiar street sign. "Turn right," the brunette woman ordered, "you'll see the place a few feet down. You can't miss it. There'll be a big, red glowing sign."

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he followed the brunette woman's orders while he drove down the street before he noticed the large sign like Victoria mentioned that shined brightly through the small town of Charming. Nestor then pulled into the parking lot of the small building, where the cartel assassin noticed two old station wagons and a motorcycle. 

"Okay, so I shouldn't take too long," the Miller woman told the Oceteva man once he pulled his black Escalade to a stop in front of the door to the tattoo shop before she mumbled, "I hope." Victoria didn't want to take too much of the assassin's time as she figured that he would need to be back in Santo Padre for his duties to the Galindo cartel very soon, so she was worried that she wouldn't be able to get this over as quickly as possible. 

Nestor shook his head as he took the keys out of the ignition before he turned his attention onto the brunette woman, who was settling her large sketchbook in her right arm while she moved her shoulder purse to the side. "Take your time," the Oceteva man told Victoria as he tried to assure her that there was no need to rush, "Miguel doesn't need me today." 

The Miller woman couldn't help but release a small sigh of relief now that she knew that she didn't have to rush or worry about the leader of the Galindo cartel coming after her for keeping his head of security. Victoria then shot Nestor a thankful smile and murmured, "okay," before she took a deep breath and jumped out of the black vehicle as she focused on the reason why she was back in the small town for the first time in over four months.

The Miller woman gave the Oceteva man another smile when he opened the front door to the tattoo shop for her before she entered the dingy establishment with her professional face shining across her face like it always does when she's doing her freelance job. Victoria then glanced around the small room of the waiting area before she instantly spotted the man that she was looking for, who was lazily sitting in a folding chair with his legs crossed at his ankles while he tossed a rubber band ball in the air. 

However, before Victoria could utter his name, the man heard the bell from the front door before he noticed the familiar woman. "Hey, Tiger!" The man hollered out with a large grin before he jumped up from his seat with his combat boots slamming onto the wooden floors now that the in training tattoo artist was here.

Victoria couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname that the motorcycle club in Charming had gave her which kind of stuck since she had grown close because of her childhood days in the small town. "Hey, Tona," the Miller woman greeted the newly patched member of the Sons Of Anarchy, who she had met on multiple occasions in the last year. Damon "Daytona" Roberts had always been nice to Victoria when she was down in Charming and they always joked with each other at the club parties, so she had been happy to get the call from the Son this morning.

Daytona pulled the tiny woman into a side hug as he could see that her hands were full before the Son finally noticed the unknown man with his friend. "Who's the braids?" The brash biker interrogated with an expressionless look as he glanced at Victoria and the man that he didn't know with a tense posture. The Sons didn't like when they didn't know who was in their town and now that he was fully a patched member of the motorcycle club, he didn't want to get in trouble because he didn't take care of it.

Victoria gave Daytona an assuring smile before she glanced over to the tense Oceteva man, who was standing right behind her with the same smile on her face as she also assured Nestor that everything was okay as she didn't want guns to be blasting around when she knew that both men were packed and loaded for any trouble. "It's cool, Tona," Victoria told the biker once she was facing him again before she introduced the man, "this is Nestor and he's my friend."

The Sons member calmed down slightly now that he realized the man that he now knew as Nestor wasn't here to harm his friend nor cause any trouble with the motorcycle club or the town of Charming. However, he didn't let his guard down like he was taught but he did give the brunette woman a large grin before he wondered as he focused on the reason why he had been waiting in the tattoo shop for the last two hours, "so, are we ready to do this thing? What do you got for me?"

Victoria let out a small sigh as she glad that nothing happened between the biker and the assassin as she had totally let it slip her mind at the idea that something could happen with her showing up with someone that the Sons didn't know. It was just how the motorcycle club had been since she's known them, so Victoria was just happy that everything was mellow. The Miller woman then gave Daytona a small smile and nodded her head towards the room that she usually went to when she was in Charming.

The biker, the nurse, and the assassin then moved to the small room that had a leather table chair for the client and two rolling chairs along with a cabinet that would hold the artist's supplies. However, Victoria wouldn't need any supplies, so she grabbed one of the rolling chairs and took a seat while Daytona took the other one with Nestor just standing silently by the door. 

"Alright, so I drawn up three different designs this morning after you called," the Miller woman explained as she folded her left leg over her right knee and placed her sketchbook on her lap before she began to flip through the book for the right page that she had used to draw up the design for the biker. "I wanted to talk in person about the details, so these are just basic designs," Victoria continued as she flipped the sketchbook around so Daytona could see before she told him, "just let me know which one you like and we can start adding on to it."

The Sons member silently nodded his head as he understood before Daytona looked at each design very carefully to see which one he liked the best to be tattooed on his body. It only took about five minutes before Daytona was pointing at the middle tattoo design as he told Victoria, "this is the one."

Victoria grabbed her sketchbook and looked at the drawing that Daytona had liked before she nodded her head and murmured, mostly to herself, "I can work with that." The Miller woman then dug through her side purse and grabbed a pencil before she began to draw the middle reaper tattoo onto the next page in a larger image since she knew that Daytona wanted it on his broad shoulder. "So, how's everyone been?" Victoria curiously wondered as she continued to draw the outline of the famous tattoo of the Sons Of Anarchy.

"Oh, you know, just busy keeping the town in order," Daytona told the brunette woman with a heavy sigh as he recently learned how exhausting being a fully patched member can be instead of being just a prospect and running some errands. The Sons member decided to not go into anymore detail than that as he glanced over at the man with the braids, who was watching his every move, as he didn't know if anything would leave the room as it could be dangerous for SAMCRO. Instead, Daytona decided to mention something to the brunette woman that she would be interested in as he uttered, "Quinn mentioned that Nate was looking good and was staying out of trouble."

Victoria felt herself freeze at the mention of her brother as she held her pencil against the paper without actually moving. "Oh," the Miller woman mumbled when she felt the man behind her gently place his hand lightly onto her exposed shoulder - which helped her get over her shock. "How's he doing?" Victoria softly questioned as she focused her hazel eyes back onto her drawing of the reaper while she tried to keep her emotions out of her voice. The Miller woman missed her brother terribly but he insisted her to not show up at the prison, so the only time that she got to hear about him was when she could come to Charming or Happy would tell her.

"He's under the protection of the Sons, so he's sitting pretty cozy," Daytona lightly joked with a chuckle - which wasn't really news for the Miller woman since she knew that her brother had been under the protection of the motorcycle club since Nathan and she were close friends with Jax Teller when they were younger along with the fact that the deceased president of SAMCRO had visited her personally and told her that Nathan would be safe. "Quinn was in Stockton last month for some recon on an associate and he was in Nate's block," Daytona began to explain once he saw a small smile playing on Victoria's lips at his small joke before he told her, "he hasn't gotten in any trouble lately like he did a couple months ago in January when the Morgana brothers tried to jump him." 

Victoria silently nodded her head and finished up the last line on the reaper as she absorbed the information about her brother. The brunette woman was happy that Nathan wasn't getting in trouble at the moment as she didn't want him have to stay in prison any longer than he needed. She didn't even know when Nathan was supposed to be released from prison since he never told her but Victoria figured it would be for the best if her brother stayed on the straight edge path. "Is he still getting food and other stuff that he needs?" The Miller woman wondered as she looked across at Daytona. Victoria had been sending her brother money ever since he told her to not come to the prison in fear that their father would find out during the first couple months of his sentence, so it was only the way Victoria could help out when her brother was in prison because of her.

Daytona nodded his head as he gave the brunette woman a small, assuring smile. "He has everything he needs thanks to all that cash you send him," the Sons member told Victoria before he added as he knew it would brighten up her mood, "Nate is always telling us when we talk to tell you thanks for the money and that he misses you." Daytona hadn't been with the MC for that long, probably less than two years, but he had known everything about Victoria and her brother's situation from Happy, who he had been sponsored for as a prospect, so Daytona knew just how much Nathan meant to Victoria and vice versa.

A large grin immediately lifted onto the Miller woman's lips as that was the best news that she has heard in awhile. Victoria felt like she barely gets to contact her brother, unless the Sons tell him personally, since Nathan didn't want her sending mail or coming to see him as he felt like it was dangerous for her. So, these small moments from the Sons always made Victoria feel better about the fact that her brother was locked up. "Thank you," Victoria honestly praised as she gave the biker a small smile to show her gratitude before she swiftly cleared her throat and focused back on her work. "So, what did you want to be added on your tattoo design?" The Miller woman inquired once she was all finished with the basic outline of the reaper that Daytona had picked. 

Daytona looked down at the large image that he liked before he explained what he wanted on his tattoo, "I wanna do a full moon behind the reaper with some creepy ass woods surrounding it and you know, with a lot more blood." The Sons biker shrugged his shoulders, which caused his leather kutte to rub against his sticky and hot skin, before he told Victoria, "you can go all out with that scary shit but keep the original reaper intact."

Victoria nodded her head as she listed the details in her brain before she asked the biker with a small smirk, "so you want the Tacoma Killer package?" It was a running joke between the Miller woman and the Sons, who she has done work for, that anything that is creepy or evil looking that it is the Tacoma Killer package since Happy taught her all the designs for dark tattoos like the one Daytona was asking for.

The Sons member let out a heavy and deep chuckle as he knew what Victoria meant by that before he muttered, "exactly." Daytona then shot the brunette woman a wide grin as he told her while he leaned back in his leather chair as he trusted Victoria with his tattoo, "just work your magic, Tiger."

The Miller woman shook her head with a chuckle before she uttered, "you got it, Tona." Victoria then turned her attention back onto her sketchbook, where she instantly felt Nestor's hot breath on her exposed neck, before she began to add a large full moon and dark smoke right behind the reaper's scythe that was also part M-16. It took Victoria about ten minutes of making sure the moon was perfect before she moved onto the creepy forest that would surround the reaper, his weapon, and the crystal ball that has the Sons Of Anarchy logo inside. 

"Wow," the Oceteva man whispered against the Miller woman's ear as he had been silently watching her work as if she was in her element that wasn't around babies and children. "You have a nice eye for detail," Nestor continued to whisper as he watched at how smoothly Victoria's hand worked as she drew the biker's tattoo.

"Tiger has talent," the Sons biker exclaimed as he watched his friend draw his tattoo while also keeping an eye on the guy with braids. "You should see her when she's drunk," Daytona continued with a smirk lifting onto his lips as he recalled one of the parties at the clubhouse, "she gave a perfect tattoo with a steady hand and knocked out some crow eater within an hour."

Victoria's cheeks immediately turned bright red as Daytona mentioned one of the times that she let her temper get the better of her around the Sons. She had been giving Happy a tattoo and she had to sit on his lap to reach his chest but one of the crow eater had gotten jealous of her and started calling her names. Victoria was tipsy almost drunk by the time that she finished the tattoo and the woman had kept on egging her on, so Victoria just ended up punching her in her nose which ultimately knocked her out and got her the Silent Killer nickname. The Miller woman was so embarrassed that she did that when she was a pediatric nurse and not some teenager hanging with her brother, Jax, and Opie - she was supposed to be more mature now.  

"Oh, really?" Nestor questioned with amusement shining through his brown eyes as he glanced between the biker and the nurse. "You some kind of secret badass?" The Oceteva man wondered with a hint of teasing in his voice as he enjoyed that he was learning more things about Victoria that she would never say out loud. 

"Tiger is definitely a badass once you get to know her better," Daytona spoke directly to the man with braids or Nestor before he shot Victoria a wink. "I've heard so many stories of her fighting and getting in trouble with Charming PD with our old president when she was fifteen," the Sons member mentioned as he recalled all of the stories that his current president had talked about during one of club's parties, where Daytona learned that Victoria had been involved with his motorcycle club since she was a kid. Daytona learned that the brunette woman was two years younger than her brother, Jax, and Opie - who were all best friends. It had been a surprise to Daytona, but he could see it by how the nurse acted around the Sons. 

"Shut up, you ass. You know I hate when you guys talk about my criminal days," Victoria exclaimed as she shot Daytona a playful glare that didn't hold anything behind it before she glanced behind her and over to Nestor. The Miller woman then lightly shrugged her shoulders before she told him honestly, "he's not lying, though." Victoria chuckled as Nestor shot her an amused grin before she turned her attention back onto Daytona as she curiously wondered as she just realized that it should be her tattooed covered friend doing the Sons tattoo, "so, why didn't you just have Happy draw and do your tat?"

Daytona shook his head as that wasn't a possibility for him before he explained why the resident tattoo artist of the Sons Of Anarchy hadn't done his tattoo, "the Prez said he was in Tacoma for the week." The biker then let out a deep chuckle before he mentioned as he remembered the threats the Lowman biker had made when he said he would go find an artist on his own, "and Happy told us to call you if we ever need any work done while he's gone."

Victoria couldn't help but widen her hazel eyes in surprise that Happy had told the club that as she never really thought that she was that good at drawing up tattoos. It had always been just a hobby for her and for her alone but when Angel found out about it and he had her do one of his and then Happy found out, she just sorta started doing tattoos. However, Victoria just never thought that they were that good but everyone is always telling her differently.

"And you say you aren't that good," the Oceteva man muttered with a smirk as he leaned his body against the counter and placed his right hand on the back of Victoria's leather chair, which caused his warm skin to graze the Miller woman's exposed shoulder from her tank top. Nestor remembered Victoria saying that she wouldn't give him a tattoo since she didn't think that it would be good enough but that was definitely a lie in the Oceteva man's book by the work that he had seen already.

"Don't listen to her," Daytona exclaimed with a roll of his blue eyes before he continued, "she does this shit all the time but she is actually talented." The Sons biker had heard so many times over the two years that he has known Victoria that she doesn't like to take credit for her work - which always turns out amazing. "Anyways," Daytona muttered as he focused back onto the annoyed looking Victoria before he told her with a chuckle, "it's either Happy or your designs for the club or Happy said he'd cut off our balls."

The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes as she could picture her tattooed friend saying this to the Sons before she stated with a shake of her head, "that's definitely Hap for you." Victoria didn't find it the least bit surprising that the Lowman biker had threatened his fellow brothers about not letting anyone tattoo them except for him since Happy takes great pride in his artistry. However, the surprising part of his threat is that Happy trusted her enough to draw up and sometimes even tattoo his fellow bikers. It made Victoria swell up with her own pride that Happy believed in her craft like that. It gave her the courage to work up to tattooing more people - maybe even Nestor someday.

The small room in the tattoo shop slowly grew silent after the Miller woman's statement as Victoria focused her attention solely back onto the tattoo design while the biker and the assassin watched her every move as if they were in a trance. Victoria worked on the final details of Daytona's tattoo which consisted of the trees that would be surrounding the reaper for about ten more minutes before she added some smoke and detailed blood to add in that creep factor. 

"Alright," Victoria muttered after about another fifteen minutes of drawing, erasing, and shading as she wanted to make sure the design was perfect for the Sons member and her friend before she flipped her sketchbook around with a small sigh and handed it over to Daytona as she told him, "let me know what you think." 

Daytona stared down at the image for a few seconds before a grin instantly lifted up onto his lips as he loved what he was seeing. "It's sick, Tiger," the Sons biker complimented the artwork before he told Victoria, "it's exactly what I was thinking." Daytona then swiftly stood up from his seat and reached in the pocket of his kutte before he pulled out a wad of cash. "This should cover it," the Sons member told the Miller woman before he handed her the money.

"Oh, no, no," Victoria instantly exclaimed as she stared at the money in the palm of her hand. "This is way over the amount I charge you guys," the Miller woman told Daytona as she only charges the Sons two-hundred for any consult that she does for them. The money that Daytona gave her had to be at least five-hundred to seven-hundred dollars.

Daytona shook his head with a smirk before he told Victoria, "the deal is final." The Sons biker then quickly walked out of the small room and back to the main part of the tattoo shop as he knew the Miller woman would just continue to hand back the money that she didn't charge for. Happy had taught him that trick awhile ago as Victoria didn't like accepting the money but it had been going on for years - ever since Nathan was put in prison. 

The Miller woman let out a loud groan once she was left alone with just Nestor as the Sons always end up doing stuff like this all the time for her. She hated it because she liked to earn her own money and do things herself but she did not deserve all the money that she was just handed just for an hour of artwork. It was an argument that she has had with almost all of the Sons Of Anarchy but, sadly, she never ever wins and always ends up accepting their charity.

Nestor watched the brunette woman in amusement before he straightened up his back and twirled her chair around, so she was facing him. The Oceteva man twitched his head to the side before he wondered something that was on his mind since he realized Victoria's client was apart of a motorcycle club, "do you just attract bikers or are you a death magnet?"

Victoria let out a small chuckle as she shook her head at the Oceteva man. "No, I'm not a death magnet," the Miller woman stated before she released a small detail about her childhood, "my brother, Nathan, used to come up here and he befriended the son of the president of the Sons. Nathan ended up bringing me with him a few times and me, Nathan, Jax, and Opie ended up becoming very close friends, so I've always been around the MC life ever since I was thirteen and they were fifteen." Victoria then let out a chuckle before she stated, "it was just a big coincidence that Angel ended up in a MC and I ended up being involved with another club."

The Oceteva man shook his head with a chuckle as he stared down at the brunette woman before he grabbed ahold of her hand and pulled her out of the leather chair. "I still think you're a death magnet," Nestor commented with a smirk before he tossed his arm over Victoria's bare shoulder and pulled her out of the small room when he heard the biker call out something to them that Nestor wasn't really focused on. 

"You aren't going to try to hand the money back, are you?" Daytona questioned with a raised eyebrow once he watched his friend and the man with the braids walk out into the waiting room while he sat on top of the empty receptionist desk that was rarely ever used. 

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes as she mumbled, "no." The Miller woman may not like that she was basically a charity case because of her friendship with the deceased Jax and the fact that she and Nathan were basically family with the Sons Of Anarchy, but she would never turn them down. Yeah, she didn't see them as much as she used to when she was younger like she does with the Reyes boys and Mayans but the Sons have always been good to her, so she would never say no to them when they just wanted to help her out.

"Good," Daytona exclaimed with a wide grin before he jumped off of the tall, red desk and stood in front of the short, brunette woman. "Thank you for coming out all this way for me," the Sons biker truthfully praised with a small smile playing on his lips before he pulled his friend into a tight hug to show his gratitude.

Victoria hugged her friend back just as tightly like she always does with Daytona before she pulled away and lightly waved the hand that wasn't holding her sketchbook, after she handed over the reaper drawing, and stated, "don't mention it. I'll always come out for you guys." The Sons would always be her second home after the Reyes family, so she would do whatever she could for them. The Miller woman then gave her friend a small smile after a moment and told him, "I'll see you around, Tona," before she and Nestor exited out of the tattoo shop.

The Miller woman released a small sigh once she felt the hot sun on her exposed skin before she glanced over to the Oceteva man, who was watching her with a small smile, and told him, "since we're finished here, we can go wherever you wanted to like you mentioned earlier." Victoria gave Nestor a small smirk as she mentioned, "I heard something about a fun and normal -"

However, before Victoria could finish her sentence about the promise that Nestor had made back at her home in Santo Padre about doing something fun after her tattoo consult as normal people and not the people that they were, who are involved with a motorcycle club and a cartel, the Miller woman was interrupted by someone. The voice that Victoria heard was from an extremely familiar and home-like person that she had always saw as her uncle when the person asked from down the sidewalk, "were you just gonna come into town without saying anything, Lassie?"


	8. Sons & Paintings

A bright smile immediately lifted onto the Miller woman's pink lips when she swiftly turned her head to the right at the familiar voice and saw the resident Scottish biker and the president of the Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Victoria shook her head with a soft chuckle as she walked up to the older man before she told Chibs, "of course not." The brunette nurse playfully rolled her hazel eyes before she uttered as she knew the Scot knows every little thing that happens in Charming, "but I'm pretty sure you already knew I was coming."

The Telford biker, however, didn't say anything right away. Instead, the president of SAMCRO pulled the short brunette woman, who he has seen as his niece ever since she started coming around when she was a young teenager, into a tight hug. Chibs breathed in Victoria's familiar scent for a moment while he ignored the presence of the tense and unknown man leaning against the black car, who was watching them with a protective gaze. 

Finally, after a few minutes of hugging his unofficial niece, the Telford biker slowly pulled away before he told the Miller woman how he knew that she was here in Charming, "Daytona mentioned that he called you this morning about his tattoo." The president of SAMCRO then shot Victoria a smirk before he exclaimed, "speaking of tattoos, you better get your arse over to the clubhouse and go see Happy before you leave town again." Chibs rolled his eyes as he commented, "you know how he'll get if he knows you were here without stopping by and I sure as hell ain't dealin' with a moody Happy today."

The Miller woman couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes like the older man had done as she knew exactly what Chibs meant about how Happy can get when she doesn't visit him. She made that mistake only once and the time she did, the Lowman biker stayed at her house for a solid week and bothered her nonstop. The brunette nurse then suddenly remembered what Daytona had told her, so she looked up at the president of SAMCRO with her brows furrowed before she voiced her confusion, "Tona told me Hap was up in Tacoma for the week."

The Telford biker shook his head and muttered, "nae," as he denied what his newly patched member thought since Daytona hadn't been at the clubhouse in the last three hours. "Happy just got in about an hour ago from a job up North," the president of the Sons explained to the brunette woman that he saw as his unofficial niece.

"I'll head over there now then," the Miller woman told the older man with a nod of her head now that she knew her tattooed friend is back in California instead of still being in Washington state. Victoria then gave Chibs another bright and happy smile as she was glad that Chibs found her before she had the chance to leave Charming. "It was real good to see you again, Chibby," the brunette woman expressed as she pulled the older man into a tight hug before she mumbled, "it's been too long."

Victoria used to spend a lot of her time in Charming when she was in high school. It wasn't as much as she would have wanted at a young age since her father never let her leave most of the time unless Nathan would sneak her out for days on end. Victoria would always catch a beat down from her father when she would get back, though, but it was always worth it to spend time with Opie and Jax along with getting spoiled by Chibs and Tig. Charming had always been like a vacation home for Victoria since home life was hell as a child and the Sons always made her feel welcomed - even Clay had a small soft spot for her.

Chibs gave the short woman a small and aged smile once they pulled away from their tight embrace before the Telford biker placed a loving kiss onto Victoria's forehead like a caring father would. "You better not be a stranger next time," the president of the Sons scolded as he pointed at the brunette woman with a teasing smile before he stated, "you know you're always welcomed in Charming." Chibs then shot a quick glance over to the unknown and tense man before he continued to speak to his unofficial niece, "it doesn't always have to be a business trip or with your Reyes boy. You know you're family, Lassie."

A soft smile immediately pulled onto the Miller woman's face as the Scot biker reminded her that she is family. It's always nice to hear in Victoria's opinion since she didn't exactly have a real and happy family with loving and normal parents. However, she did have components of a real family with Nathan, the Sons, the Mayans, and the Reyes men.  Victoria may get put into dangerous situations with both of the motorcycle clubs but the brunette nurse wouldn't have it any other way. 

"I'll try to come back soon to see the family," Victoria promised to the Scot biker as she would love to see the whole club of Sons and spend a few days here in Charming. She usually only came with Angel, unless Happy picks her, or when she designing a tattoo, so the Miller woman would love to just hang out and relax with the men and women that she saw as members of her family. However, sadly, it's always hard for Victoria to get away from Santo Padre since she's always working all the time but the brunette nurse made a mental note to talk to her boss about taking a few days off in the near future.

"I love ye and give me a call when ye get home, Lassie," the president of the Sons ordered before he pulled the brunette woman into another tight hug as he wasn't sure how long it would be until Victoria would be back again. Chibs then placed another kiss onto Victoria's forehead as he rubbed the crown of her head before he reluctantly pulled away and released his unofficial niece.

"I will," Victoria promised with a playful eye roll as no matter how old she gets, she always has to give Chibs a call after a trip to Charming. However, the Miller woman understood why, though, since the Nordics kidnapped and roughed her up when she was leaving town a couple years back. Victoria then gave her unofficial uncle one last smile and uttered, "love you too, Chibby," before she gave the biker a small wave and turned around to head back to the Oceteva man, who was leaning against his black Escalade with his serious, cartel face on show.

The Oceteva man immediately relaxed his body from its tense and straightened position when the brunette woman began to walk towards him before Nestor placed his hand onto the middle part of her exposed back and directed Victoria towards the passenger side of the black Escalade. Nestor then opened the door with his unoccupied hand and let Victoria enter the car before the Oceteva man leaned down with his hand on top of the car and inquired with a raised eyebrow about the biker that was currently watching them like a hawk, "another friend of yours?" 

Victoria glanced through the front windshield of the black Escalade, where she instantly spotted Chibs keeping an eye on them as he slowly moved to the door of the tattoo shop. The Miller woman shook her head with a chuckle at the protective biker before she looked up at Nestor and stated, "he's more like my uncle." A soft smile lifted onto Victoria's lips as she explained her relationship to Oceteva man, "I've known Chibs since I was thirteen and he's just always taken care of me whenever I would come to Charming with my brother."

Nestor silently nodded his head in understanding before he closed Victoria's door and slid into the drivers seat as he absorbed all this new information about the Miller woman that he would have never guessed would be true. The Oceteva man always thought ever since he met Victoria that the Mayans were the first and only motorcycle club that she was involved with. So it was definitely a surprise to Nestor that the Miller woman had been around motorcycle clubs since she was a teenager. 

"Alright," the Miller woman huffed out as she turned her body to the side so she was facing the Oceteva man once Nestor started up the SUV before Victoria stated with an apologetic smile, "I know I said this would be the only thing that I need to do in Charming but I just need to say hi real quick to a friend then we go anywhere you want."

The Oceteva man shot the brunette nurse a small smile as he briefly tapped on her exposed knee with his index and middle finger before he assured Victoria, "It's cool. I don't mind." Nestor honestly didn't mind driving around or just sitting quietly while the Miller woman interacted with the local bikers as Nestor just liked seeing Victoria smile while in her element and absorbing the calmness that seems to surround her. "So, where do you need me to take you?" The Oceteva man inquired after he exited out of the parking lot of the tattoo shop before he came to a short stop as he didn't know where the bikers's clubhouse is located. 

"Oh!" The Miller woman yelped as she realized that Nestor was basically lost and wasn't familiar with Charming like she is before the brunette nurse swiftly glanced around them to see where they were. Victoria then silently nodded her head to herself before she directed the Oceteva man to the Sons Of Anarchy clubhouse, "it's just off Main street, so you need to keep driving straight then take a sharp left. It's a place called Scoops and Sweets."

Nestor took a quick glance over at the brunette woman with a raised eyebrow while he continued to drive straight down the long road as soon as he heard the name of the establishment come out of Victoria's mouth. "Their clubhouse is an ice cream place?" The Oceteva man wondered with amusement throughout his voice. 

Victoria lightly lifted her left shoulder in a shrugging motion with a chuckle as she knew she would get that reaction before the brunette nurse explained, "it's just a front like how the Mayans have the scrapyard. The clubhouse for the Sons is right above the ice cream store." The Miller woman then glanced out of the window as she looked at the familiar stores while she explained why the bikers were located at a business like that, "the original one was blown up about six or seven years ago and they decided to just keep it at this location instead of rebuilding the old one."

A shiver instantly ran down the Miller woman's spine as she recalled that one memory. Victoria had been in Charming and at the old clubhouse when the IRA blew it up. It was just one of the many dangerous situations that she had been in while being involved with the Sons. It wasn't the first one either but it was still scary for Victoria since she almost didn't get out in time. Thankfully, Juice had pulled her out of the clubhouse just seconds before it blew up. 

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head as he could obviously understand why they wouldn't be at the same location anymore. "So, do they actually sell ice cream?" Nestor wondered after a moment of silence with the same amusement in his voice as the cartel assassin found it humorous that a dangerous motorcycle club was located in such a family-friendly place. 

"Oh, yeah," the Miller woman answered with a chuckle before she stated with a smirk playing on her pink lips, "you should see the prospects." Victoria remembered the first that that she had walked into Scoops and Sweets after the club was officially moved in and she just couldn't stop laughing when she had seen the annoyed prospects. "They take care of the shop when the Sons don't need them," Victoria explained to Nestor about what the prospects do, "they sell all types of goodies - ice cream, candy, cookies, milkshakes." The brunette woman playfully rolled her hazel eyes as she commented, "it was a joke at first, but they couldn't just use the shop or the community would get suspicious so they run the parlor during the day time and the club's bar after five."

Nestor only got the chance to mumble out an amused, "interesting," at the clubhouse for Charming's local bikers as he pulled in front of the busy ice cream shop before he parked right underneath the bright green and yellow sign that read; Scoops & Sweets. The Oceteva man and the Miller woman then silently exited out of the black Escalade before Victoria lead them through the front door of the family-friendly establishment.

Victoria gave two small brunette children, who were running across the shop with a bag of candy, a polite smile before she looked towards the windowed counter of ice cream flavors and toppings, where she recognized a familiar face. "Hey, JJ," the Miller woman greeted the Sons prospect with a wave of her hand as she and Nestor walked in his direction.

The blonde and blue eyed prospect gave the brunette woman a small smile when he instantly recognized her calm figure. "Hey, Tiger," JJ greeted the nurse back before he nodded his head to the left towards the back of the ice cream shop. "He's up in the bar," the Sons prospect told Victoria as he knew who the brunette woman was looking for since Chibs mentioned that Victoria would be stopping by before he had left the clubhouse.

"Thank you, JJ," the Miller woman praised the prospect with a nod of her head before she told Nestor as she lead him to the back of the ice cream shop while she maneuvered around all of the smiling customers, "it's through here." Victoria walked over to a lone wooden door in the right corner of the busy establishment and opened the secret entrance that led them to the outside of Scoops and Sweets before she lead them up a set of steel stairs. The brunette nurse then opened the door that was on the second story of the old building before she entered the Sons clubhouse with Nestor silently following behind.

Victoria took a glance around the bar area of the clubhouse once she heard the door close behind them, where she noticed a couple of familiar faces drinking beer but they weren't who she was looking for at the moment. However, before the Miller woman could find her tattooed covered friend, a loud and deep voice called from the corner of the clubhouse that was behind her. "Well, look who finally decided to come home," the Lowman biker exclaimed with a wide smirk playing across his lips. 

The Miller woman couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes in amusement while she was still facing the bar at the voice of her friend before Victoria turned around and walked passed Nestor until she was in front of the now standing Sons member. "Oh, shut up, Hap. You ain't any better, either, when you just got here," Victoria exclaimed with her own smirk and a small chuckle before she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug.

The Lowman biker and the Miller nurse hugged for a calm minute or two before they pulled away from each other and the Sergeant At Arms finally noticed the unfamiliar man that didn't belong in the clubhouse. Happy shot the man a heavy glare as he didn't know who he was and why he was with his close friend. The Lowman biker then completely ignored the man's presence as he turned back to Victoria before he curiously wondered, "so, what are you doin back in town?"

Victoria couldn't help but take a quick glance back at the Oceteva man with a small and assuring smile as she knew Happy would be the most difficult to be around since he was like Angel with his protectiveness over her. The Miller nurse was pleasantly surprised that the Son didn't immediately pull out a gun, though, so Victoria took that to mean Happy is, thankfully, in a good mood. Victoria, however, decided against jokingly commenting on the brash biker's rudeness like she usually would to keep him in line. Instead, the Miller woman explained why she was in Charming, "oh, I was drawing up Tona's reaper down at the shop."

The Lowman biker nodded his head before he instantly took notice of the large and familiar sketchbook in the brunette woman's arms. Happy then shot Victoria a wide grin before he asked, "you ready for another tattoo lesson?" It was a common occurrence whenever the Miller woman would come back to Charming, that Happy would help her hone her tattooing craft. It was something that they had been doing about two years after Happy had officially joined SAMCRO.

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she really did want to stay but she knew that she couldn't this time, so Victoria shook her head. "I can't," the brunette woman mumbled as she knew that she made a promise to Nestor to finally do something fun and normal before she told the Sons biker, "we really should be going." Victoria shot her close friend a small smile before she explained why she had showed up at the clubhouse, "I was just on my way out when Chibs told me you were back from Tacoma, so I just came to say hi before heading back to S'Padre."

"Oh, come on, Tiger," the Lowman biker moaned out before he tossed his arm over Victoria's shoulder and dragged her past the unknown and unimportant man and towards the bar that was occupied with Quinn, Ratboy, and a prospect. The Sergeant At Arms nodded his head at the prospect and held out two fingers before he tried to convince Victoria to stay, "one beer and a tattoo." Happy shot the brunette woman a pointed look as he uttered, "I know damn well your ass ain't busy today or you wouldn't have came out here, so come on and help your good pal out."

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes at Happy's way of trying to convince her to stay before she gave the prospect that she didn't know a small nod when he handed her a bottle of Corona. The Miller woman took a large gulp while she tried to decide if she should go or not before Victoria faced the Lowman biker with a heavy sigh and muttered as she really did want to stay a little bit longer in Charming, "alright, fine." 

The Miller woman pointed her finger at the Lowman biker as she squinted her hazel eyes before she commanded, "but only one beer and the tattoo." Victoria then slid her sketchbook across the wooden bar when Happy nodded his head in agreement before the Miller woman told the Sons biker, "pick which one you want me to do."

The Lowman biker shot his close friend a wink when he knew that he had convinced the Miller woman to stay like he usually does before he opened up the large sketchbook and flipped to the back that was reserved for his tattoo designs that Victoria had drawn for this very reason - to practice her craft. Happy then looked at each page for about five minutes until he found the one that he wanted to add to his collection of tattoos. "We're doin the lion," the Sons member told the brunette woman at he tapped his finger against the design before he swiftly stood up and headed to the back of the clubhouse to get his tattoo kit.

Victoria flipped the sketchbook towards her and looked at the page that Happy had stopped on before she noticed the design that the Sons biker had mentioned. The Miller woman took out the image from the sketchbook and put it to the side as she waited for her close friend to get back with the kit. However, while Victoria was waiting on Happy, the Miller woman walked behind the bar and gave Nestor, who was just standing to the side, a small nod to come closer. 

"Hey, boys," the brunette nurse greeted the two fully patched members and the prospect of the Sons before she bent down and grabbed another Corona along with two shot glasses. Victoria then poured tequila into the shot glasses and pushed one over to Nestor, who was now standing on the other side of the bar in front of her, along with his beer and a small smile. The Miller woman felt bad that they were staying longer than she had said, so she at least wanted the Oceteva man to be comfortable with alcohol around the bikers while she was tattooing.

Nestor shook his head with an amused grin playing on his lips at the polite hostess inside the brunette woman before he bumped his shot glass against Victoria's and they muttered, "cheers," before they both downed the shot of tequila. The Miller woman then took the shot glasses and dumped them under the bar before she turned her attention back onto the Oceteva man as she apologized, "I'm sorry about Happy. He's not exactly a friendly guy." 

Victoria felt a little bad and awkward that everyone they have meant in Charming has basically ignored Nestor's presence - well, except for Daytona, who had briefly talked with the Oceteva man. However, the Miller woman knew it was just because they were all protective of her. Victoria had grown up and around all the Sons, so she understood why they were very standoff-ish with the cartel assassin. She just wished that they were at least little friendly as she didn't want Nestor to think that she was ignoring him or didn't want him around. Victoria just hoped that Nestor didn't find it offensive or get angry.

A heavy laughter broke out from a few feet away from Victoria and Nestor which caused the Miller woman to jump out of her thoughts and caused the Oceteva man to pause before he could jokingly assure Victoria that he could handle a few bikers since he deals with rude people on a daily basis. "He just doesn't like guys around his girl," the man that had laughed, who happened to be Rane Quinn, told the man with the braids as a large smirk lifted onto his lips. 

The Miller woman playfully rolled her hazel eyes at the Sons biker while she took a gulp of her Corona as she glanced at the long haired man. Victoria turned her attention back onto Nestor as she reached across the bar and unconsciously touched the top of Nestor's hand before she told him, "he's joking." The brunette nurse then paused for a moment as she glanced towards the ceiling as she thought about Happy and his personality before she quickly added in a mumble, "sort of."

Nestor let out his first sound since they had entered the clubhouse as he deeply chuckled before he rotated his wrist, that was still being lightly touched by the Miller woman, and held her hand as he gave it a slight squeeze. "I'm starting to see why he'd be protective over you," the Oceteva man whispered as he leaned over the bar and stared right into Victoria's hazel eyes.

The Miller woman felt like she was frozen in her spot and everything around them just disappeared after Nestor's simple but meaningful statement. Victoria didn't know why, but she was starting to always feel this way when Nestor would say or do a certain thing that would awaken something inside of her. The brunette nurse knew it probably wasn't good that she got these feelings with the cartel assassin, but Victoria loved and enjoyed it so much as it made her feel so alive. 

"Alright, let's get this shit rollin," the loud and deep voice of Happy Lowman exclaimed as he interrupted the Miller woman's thoughts about the cartel assassin in front of her - which instantly caused Victoria to pull her hand out of Nestor's grasp when the Sons biker came back into the bar with his large black bag that held his tattoo kit. 

Victoria awkwardly cleared her throat when she realized that she was in some sort of trance before she shot Nestor a small smile and a glare towards the three laughing bikers, who had been silently watching, on the other end of the bar. The Miller woman grabbed her sketch of the lion tattoo and followed after Happy as he walked towards the seating area that he originally had been in when she had arrived. The brunette nurse then grabbed the stencil from Happy's kit and his pen while the Lowman biker began to set up the tattooing station before she began to draw the lion design onto the thin paper.

The bar of the Sons Of Anarchy clubhouse was silent for about fifteen minutes, except for the small murmurs of Quinn and Ratboy talking to each other and the Lowman biker connecting the tattoo gun to the foot pedal, while Victoria concentrated on drawing the lion design for her tattooed friend. However, the silence was soon interrupted when the Oceteva man walked up to Victoria and lightly placed his hand onto her shoulder. Nestor shook his vibrating cell phone in his hand once Victoria looked back at him before he told the brunette woman, "I gotta take this call real quick. I'll be right back."

Victoria nodded her head in understanding as she figured it was Miguel before the brunette nurse pointed her finger towards the front door of the clubhouse. "You can take it outside if you need some privacy," the Miller woman told the Oceteva man before she silently watched as Nestor gave her a small smile as he brought his black touch phone up to his ear. Victoria then waited until Nestor exited out of the clubhouse before she turned her attention back onto her design to add the last few details.

The Lowman biker and the Miller woman ended up finishing at the same time after about ten more minutes of silence as Happy had put the tattoo station altogether just as Victoria placed the drawing pen down onto the table. Happy then began to shed out of his kutte and his grey reaper shirt while Victoria was putting her hair into a low ponytail before the Lowman biker took a seat onto the leather couch. The Sergeant At Arms watched the brunette woman for a moment before he curiously wondered with a raised eyebrow, "so, what happened with Reyes?"

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes at her close friend while she tightened her ponytail by pulling at her brunette hair at the end of the black hair tie. "I'm still involved with Angel," the Miller woman told the Son once she was sure her hair would stay in place before she nodded her head towards the front door and explained her relationship with the man that had just left that way, "Nestor and I are just friends." The brunette nurse then gave Happy a pointed but playful look as she ordered, "so, please be nice."

A deep chuckle rippled throughout the Sergeant At Arms's body before he mumbled with a smirk while he stared across at the brunette woman, who thought he could be nice to some random guy that was hanging around his close friend, "mmhm, sure, little girl." The Lowman biker then silently grabbed one of the cleaning cloths from his tattoo kit and cleaned off the top of his hand, where he wanted his new tattoo, before he placed his palm down onto the stool between him and Victoria.

The Miller woman only shook her head at her close friend with amusement in her hazel irises as she knew Happy was going to continue to be an ass to the Oceteva man. It's just what the Lowman biker always does to someone that's not involved with the club and something that she was used to, so Victoria only let out a quiet sigh before she focused on perfecting her craft as she carefully placed the lion stencil onto Happy's hand. The brunette nurse then slipped on a pair of blue rubber gloves and began to prepare the black ink and the tattoo gun.

However, while the Miller woman was busy with getting ready for their tattoo session, the Lowman biker told the brunette woman as he continued with their previous conversation, "well, whenever you finally get tired of Reyes, make sure you come see me." Happy then waited until Victoria was looking at him before the Sergeant At Arms rubbed the middle of his jean-clad crotch and muttered with a smirk, "I have a spot just for you."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes, once again, with a small chuckle as she was used to this side of Happy. It was just about every single time that they were together that the Sons biker would tell her this. Angel didn't even get jealous anymore since they were just playing around - well, for the most part. "Oh, shut up, Hap," the Miller woman told her friend as she placed her foot down onto the pedal, which started up the tattoo gun, before she joked, "I don't want your STD ass anywhere near me."

The Lowman biker loudly scoffed throughout the silent bar in the SAMCRO clubhouse before he looked down at the brunette woman and commanded with his thick and rough voice, "keep up the lies, little girl." A wide smirk then pulled onto the Sons biker's lips before he teased, "you know you'll come crawling to me one of these days."

"Only in your dreams, Hap," the Miller woman joked back before she and Happy exchanged a quick laugh at the calmness and relaxing feeling that they always felt around each other because of their close and long friendship. Victoria then took a deep breath once the bar grew silent as she knew that she needed to focus all her attention on the task at hand, so Victoria took a deep breath before she moved her chair closer towards Happy and the stool that the biker's hand was lying on. The tattoo artist in training then began to trace the outline of the lion tattoo with the black ink from the gun as carefully as she could. 

"You're doing good," Happy complimented the nervous nurse as he watched how she was working the tattoo gun and how much pressure that she was putting on his skin while she kept her foot down on the pedal. "Now, when you get to the edges, make sure you relax your hand around the tattoo gun and curve your wrist," the Lowman biker instructed when Victoria began to trace the hair of the lion that reached the top part of his knuckles.

The Miller woman silently nodded her head as she took in the advice from the Sons member that happens to be a professional tattoo artist and her close friend while she adjusted her grip on the tattoo gun. Victoria traced the outline of the whole tattoo on Happy's hand for about fifteen minutes before she lifted the needle and dabbed it into the little pod of black ink. The brunette nurse then wiped the extra ink with the napkin that was on her lap before she started back up as she worked on the bottom lip of the wide opened mouth of the lion.

"Now, to shade in the mouth, you're going to have to press down a little harder and swipe the needle like you would when painting with a brush in small and easy strokes," the Lowman biker directed the brunette woman as he didn't want to spook Victoria once he knew that she was finished with the outline of his lion tattoo.

Victoria immediately did exactly like the Lowman biker told her to do as she had done black shading work a few times on Happy's body like the cross on his back along with Angel's Mayans tattoo. The Miller woman then continued the small strokes like she was taught before she would wipe the extra ink off with the folded napkin after she would get more ink for about another fifteen minutes as she shaded in the hair close to Happy's fingers, the lion's forehead, nose, and around his eyes.

The Miller woman pulled the tattoo gun away from the biker's skin and stared down at her art work to make sure that she had the shading down like she had in her drawing from the sketchbook. Victoria then looked up at Happy once she realized that she got all of the right spots down with the black ink before she quizzically inquired, "do you want me to highlight between the shading?"

Happy nodded his head with a small but proud grin and exclaimed, "exactly," as he had been waiting for the Miller woman to realize the next step. "You'll need to highlight the teeth, whiskers, nose, around the eyes, and between the hair," the Lowman biker instructed before he pointed towards the packaged needle on the table and told Victoria, "now, you need to switch needles, so you can use the white ink."

Victoria instantly began to nervously bite down on her bottom lip as the Lowman biker never needed her to change out the needles before since they usually just stick to plain black tattoos or Happy would change the needles for her along with the fact that Happy's gun is different than the one that she has. The Miller woman then glanced down at the tattoo gun as she tried to remember the steps before she looked up at the amused Happy once she realized that she had no idea what she was doing and mumbled, "how exactly do I do that?"

The Lowman biker let out a small chuckle as he knew that he would get that reaction from the brunette woman before he moved his thighs around the stool so he could be closer to the tattoo gun. Happy then pointed to the tiny screw on the back of the needle before he instructed, "you need to unscrew this, the grommet, then you can easily slide the needle out."

The Miller woman nodded her head in understanding as she realized that it wasn't as complicated as she was making it out to be. Victoria held the tattoo gun with her left gloved hand now that she knew how to exchange the needle before she began to unscrew the grommet at the end of the tattoo gun. The brunette nurse then soon realized that the grommet was connected to a bar, so she rotated it to the side before she slowly pulled out the black inked needle.

"Perfect," the rough voice of the Sons biker complimented as he watched the slow actions of the brunette woman replacing the needle for the first time. "Alright, now all you gotta do is take the RS needle out of the package and place it into the same spot before putting the grommet back into place and tighten the screw as tight as it will go," Happy instructed once Victoria placed the used needle onto the table.

The Miller woman momentarily placed the tattoo gun down on her thighs and turned her attention onto the small table beside them before she glanced at the multiple packages of needles. Victoria studied each one for a minute or two before she spotted the package with the letters; 'RS.' The brunette nurse then opened up the package and placed the needle back into the gun before she followed Happy's instructions and tightened the grommet back behind the needle.

"Alright, good," the Sons biker muttered as he could tell the needle was in the right place before he told the tattoo artist in training, "the highlighting is just like shading. You just need to go in slow and easy strokes." Happy then used his free hand and pointed towards the eyes of the lion as he instructed, "let's start here. You'll go around the eyes with the white ink along with the lashes to make them stand out."

Victoria silently nodded her head and muttered, "got it." The Miller woman then dipped the fresh needle into the small pod of white ink before she stepped her foot back onto the pedal and began to work on the bottom part of the dark eyes of the lion. Victoria went even more slowly and carefully as she highlighted the tattoo as she wanted it to be perfect before she moved onto the other eye. 

However, just as Victoria was placing the white covered needle onto the right eye of the lion, was the time that the Oceteva man finally walked back through the front door of the clubhouse. The Miller woman paused at the sound of someone entering the bar before she looked up at Nestor with a small smile and wondered as she didn't want to hold Nestor up if Miguel needed him back in Santo Padre, "everything all good?"

The Oceteva man nodded his head and simply uttered, "false alarm," as he didn't trust any of the bikers around him to say anything about Miguel or the cartel. Nestor then took a seat at a table that was a couple of feet away from the tattooing station while he silently watched as Victoria gave him another one of her dazzling smiles that Nestor could look at all day before the brunette woman focused back onto her task.

Victoria finished the last detail of the lion's eyes once she knew that Nestor didn't need to leave as she would have just gotten a ride from Happy instead of getting the Oceteva man in trouble with Miguel. The brunette woman then moved her attention onto the nose of the lion and began to highlight around the black shaded nose for a few minutes so it would stand out against the dark ink before Victoria moved onto the sharp teeth of the fierce animal. 

The Miller woman worked on the mouth of the lion for about ten minutes or so before she paused as she could feel this tense awkwardness in the clubhouse. Victoria didn't like it, so she glanced over at Happy, who had his death stare in the direction behind her, while Nestor had his eyes on her and the tattoo that she was doing. 

The brunette nurse let out a heavy sigh as she knew that she needed to settle this or she wouldn't be able to concentrate, so Victoria loudly cleared her throat before she pointed at the Sons biker in front of her. "Happy," the Miller woman stated before she pointed her finger towards the man behind her and stated, "Nestor." She shot Happy a slightly glare before she exclaimed, "there, now you know each other so stop with the macho act."

The Lowman biker raised his free hand in the air with a wide smirk on his face before he told the obviously annoyed brunette woman to annoy her even more like he always does, "I'm not causing any problems. I would never do that."

Victoria rolled her hazel eyes as she knew that Happy was just trying to get on her nerves like he does every time they are together before she exclaimed, "like hell you wouldn't." The Miller woman soon realized that she wasn't going to be able to get the Sons biker out of his childish games, so Victoria glanced over her shoulder towards Nestor and told him so he could at least be comfortable until she was finished, "you can go around the bar if you need another beer."

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head before he quietly got up from his seat at the small table and headed towards the bar. Nestor gave the three bikers a small greeting with a nod before he grabbed three beers instead of just one as he decided to make peace for Victoria since she was obviously bothered by the fact that her friend was being an asshole. The Oceteva man then headed back to the tattooing station once he had the caps off of the Corona bottles before he held out a beer towards the tattooed biker as a peace offering. 

The Sergeant At Arms glanced between the focused Victoria, the beer, and the man that his close friend was hanging around with a dead stare in his brown irises. Happy then huffed out a silent sigh after a minute or so as he decided to be at least a tiny bit nice for Victoria's sake before he gave Nestor a small nod and quietly muttered his appreciation as he grabbed the beer bottle, "thanks."

Victoria glanced up from the lion tattoo when she heard the surprising words fall out of her close friend's mouth. "Now was that so hard?" The Miller woman tauntingly wondered as she raised her eyebrow at the Sons biker after he finally acted nice towards the Oceteva man. 

"Very," the Sergeant At Arms sarcastically muttered to the brunette woman as he held the edge of his Corona against his opened lips before he took a large gulp. 

The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes at the Lowman biker before she suddenly shivered when she felt a cold touch on her bare shoulder. Victoria lightly placed the tattoo gun on her thigh before she glanced behind her, where she noticed Nestor holding up a fresh Corona beer bottle for her. The brunette nurse gave the Oceteva man a small smile before she grabbed the bottle from his hand and murmured, "thank you, Nestor."

The Oceteva man silently nodded his head before he softly murmured, "no problem." Nestor then peaked over Victoria's shoulder and curiously looked down at her work that looked quite amazing in his opinion. "So, how many tattoos have you done?" The Oceteva man curiously wondered as he could tell this was definitely not Victoria's first one.

The brunette nurse bit down on her bottom lip as she thought for a moment of how many tattoos she had done while she highlighted the tongue of the lion. "I've been doing tattoos for Happy for about seven years," Victoria began as she recalled all the times that she has had a tattoo gun in her hand, "and I've done one or two for Angel along with a couple for some of the other Sons and Mayans, so quite a lot."

"You've done them for that long and you still don't think you're any good?" Nestor questioned in disbelief. The Oceteva man had thought that Victoria had only been doing actual tattoos for a couple of months by how shy and nervous she had been while they had talked about her tattooing career last night outside of the hospital. 

"You're still on that bullshit, little girl?" The Lowman biker interrogated before the Miller woman even had the chance to answer the Oceteva man's question. Happy rolled his brown eyes at Victoria before he glanced over at the man with the braids and exclaimed, "she does this every damn time." The Sergeant At Arms then looked back over at Victoria, who was looking annoyed, before he told her like he always does, "if I thought you were shit then I wouldn't have spent years helping you nor would I let you tat me all up."

Victoria huffed out a sigh as she knew that Happy was right but she definitely wasn't about to tell him that or she would never hear the end of it. Instead, the Miller woman shot her close friend a glare and told him, "oh, stop ganging up on me before I 'accidentally' stab you." Victoria had just always thoughts her tattoos weren't that good but every time that she did one and someone would compliment her, it just made the brunette nurse that more determined to get better and better. 

The biker and the assassin both laughed in Victoria's expense - which caused the Miller woman to immediately roll her hazel eyes.  _At least there isn't anymore tension,_ Victoria thought to herself before she focused back onto the lion tattoo and finished the last bit of the white highlighting around the lion's fur. The tattoo artist in training then worked on the rest of the tattoo for about fifteen more minutes with the sound of beer bottles being lifted to lips and the two men chatting together before Victoria let out a tired sigh and exclaimed, "there. It's all finished."

Happy flexed out his hand that had been in one position for a while before he brought his new tattoo towards his face so he could study it more closely. "Looks good, little girl," the Sons biker complimented with a nod of his head after a minute or two of looking at the lion. Happy then glanced up towards the nervous looking Victoria with a small chuckle before he stood up from his seat and slung his arm over the Miller woman's shoulder. "You did good, little girl," the biker promised and placed a quick kiss onto Victoria's temple before he headed over to the bar for a shot of tequila. 

"You know, he's not wrong," the Oceteva man told the Miller woman as he stood up from his seat at the small table and stood closely beside the brunette woman, who was taking apart the tattoo gun and placing the supplies back into the black bag as she packed everything away now that she was finished. 

Victoria shot the Oceteva man a small but grateful smile as she liked getting compliments on her tattooing work since it builds up her confidence to continue on with the hobby. "Thanks," the Miller woman quietly murmured before a large smirk lifted onto her lips and she pointed at Nestor as she exclaimed when she remembered their conversation from last night, "but I'm still not going to tattoo you."

The Oceteva man took a step closer to the brunette nurse until their was only inches between them before he whispered with a small smirk playing across his lips, "I'll get you there." Nestor still, in fact, wanted Victoria to give him a tattoo like had asked for yesterday - especially now after seeing her drawing and tattooing skills first hand. 

The Miller woman let out a chuckle as she pushed her hand against Nestor's hard chest and muttered, "oh, shut up." Victoria then headed back to the bar, where she saw Happy pouring five shots of tequila. The brunette nurse rested herself against the wood of the bar once she reached the three bikers before she told Happy with a sigh, "I think I'm going to have to get going, Hap." Victoria always hated leaving Charming - especially since it has been months since she had seen any of her Charming family. She always felt like she was leaving apart of her life behind when she would leave and Victoria always hated that feeling.

The Lowman biker pouted towards his close friend but he understood that Victoria couldn't stay since it was starting to get late and he didn't want her on the road too late, so Happy nodded his head before he pushed two shot glasses towards her and the man beside her while he kept his and pushed the other two towards Quinn and Ratboy. The Sergeant At Arms then lifted up his shot glass and toasted, "to Tiger finally coming home."

The three bikers, the nurse, and the cartel assassin all downed their shot of tequila before Victoria shot her close friend a small smile at the toast that he did for her. The Miller woman then walked around the bar and pulled Happy into a tight hug before she whispered, "thank you." This was another reason why Victoria always hated leaving Charming. The Sons always made her feel like she belonged here and it has always meant everything to Victoria since they have protected and cared for her like a family should. 

The Miller woman and the Lowman biker stayed in that position for a few minutes as they embraced each other before Victoria slowly pulled away and promised the Sergeant At Arms, "I'll try to come back as soon as I can." Victoria did always try to come back to Charming as much as she could but it was hard when she was always working so when she has a day off, the Miller woman always tries to come visit if she doesn't have any plans with Angel. 

"You better," the rough voice of the Lowman biker exclaimed as he squinted his brown irises at the brunette woman. Happy then shot Victoria a small smirk before he exclaimed, "or I'mma show up in Santo Padre and drag your ass back home." 

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Hap," the Miller woman chuckled as she shook her head at her tattooed friend with a wide and happy grin shining across her face. Happy had actually done that a few times when she didn't come to Charming for a few months, so the brunette woman knew he wasn't lying. Victoria then tore her eyes from Happy or she wouldn't leave before she waved her hand towards the other bikers. "It was good to see you guys again," the brunette woman told Quinn and Ratboy before she gave Nestor a nod and headed towards the front door of the clubhouse to leave.

However, before the Oceteva man and the Miller woman could leave and head back to Santo Padre, the loud voice of Quinn shouted as he jogged towards them, "hey, wait up!" The long haired man walked through the door with Victoria and Nestor before he told the brunette woman, "Nate gave me something to give to you." Quinn then dug through his kutte before he pulled out a small envelope and handed it over to Victoria. 

The Miller woman furrowed her brows as she slowly grabbed ahold of the envelope and noticed her brother's scratchy handwriting that he has had since they were kids. "W-What's this?" Victoria wondered in a soft whisper as she glanced up at the tall man. The brunette nurse was honestly surprised to have something sent to her by Nathan since he tries to not do anything like this as he doesn't want her to be in danger.

"Nate gave me this letter before I was released from Stockton," Quinn told the brunette woman before he explained why he was the one giving it to her instead of receiving it in the mail, "he didn't want to send it to you encase someone realized your connection to the club or if daddy dearest was keeping tabs on you guys, so I told him I'd get it to you whenever you came through."

"Oh," Victoria mumbled out in shock as she stared down at the envelope in her slightly shaky hands. The Miller woman felt like it was a miracle whenever she would hear anything from her brother since it's been over seven years since she had actually talked to him. She hated that Nathan was so worried about her but she understood since they had no idea where their father is after the day that sent Nathan to prison along with the fact that someone could come after her if they knew her connection to SAMCRO. Victoria then quickly glanced back up at the tall biker once she realized that she was lost in her thoughts before she praised him, "thanks, Quinn. I appreciate this so much."

Quinn shrugged his large shoulders to show that he didn't mind doing that for the Miller siblings before he waved his hand and told the brunette woman, "it's nothing. You know you and your brother are family."

Victoria nodded her head before she swiftly wrapped her arms around the surprised Sons biker's waist. "Thank you for this," the Miller woman praised once more before she whispered, "thank you for keeping Nate safe and I appreciate this so much since I rarely get to talk to my brother." Victoria couldn't even remember the last time that she and Nathan had actually shared words with each other so the brunette woman was eternally grateful for Quinn right now. 

The tall and tattooed biker silently nodded his head before he stated as he knew the history of the Miller siblings, "I know how it is, Tiger." Quinn then pulled away from the brunette woman's embrace after a moment and gave Victoria a small grin before the Sons biker told the Miller woman, "give me a call if you need to get a letter back to Nate and I'll make it happen."

The Miller woman gave the Sons biker a small smile as she was very thankful that she would have the opportunity to give her brother a letter back as Victoria knew Quinn nor any of the other SAMCRO members would put her into danger by doing this for her. It meant the world to Victoria, too, as it has been years since she and Nathan have had a back and forth conversation because usually it would be Nathan having the Sons tell her something without having the chance to tell her brother anything back. 

The brunette nurse gave the Sons biker one last smile when he headed back towards the SAMCRO clubhouse before she waited until Quinn had closed the door behind him. Victoria then glanced down at the envelope between her hands and bit down on her bottom lip while she thought of all the possibilities of what her brother had to say to her. 

However, before Victoria's running thoughts could go wild about what would be in the letter, the surprisingly gentle voice of the Oceteva man called out after a few minutes of them standing by the stairs of the clubhouse and Scoops and Sweets in silence, "hey." Nestor raised one of his thick eyebrows at Victoria once she glanced up at him before Nestor wondered, "you ready to go?"

Victoria gave the Oceteva man a quick smile and murmured, "yeah, sure." The Miller woman tightened her hand around her brother's letter that was resting on her sketchbook before she walked passed the waiting Nestor and headed down the steel stairs. Victoria then walked back through the door of Scoops and Sweets once Nestor opened it for her before they silently walked through the busy establishment. 

The Miller woman gave the blonde prospect, JJ, behind the counter a small smile and a quick wave as she silently said goodbye while he was busy scooping out strawberry ice cream for a local teenager before Victoria exited out the front door of Scoops and Sweets with Nestor following closely behind. The nurse and the assassin then headed to the black Escalade, where Nestor opened the door for Victoria and allowed her to enter the car before he also joined her.

The black Escalade was silent for a few minutes as the Oceteva man drove away from Scoops and Sweets and headed down Main street while Victoria watched all of the familiar places past them by before the Miller woman turned her attention over to Nestor and curiously wondered, "do you know your way out of here?" 

"I think so," Nestor mumbled as he glanced around the road while he tried to remember the way that they had came from. "I just gotta take a left then head down Interstate 405, right?" The Oceteva man inquired before he took a quick glance over at the Miller woman as he wanted to make sure that he was going the right way. 

Victoria nodded her head as she shot the Oceteva man a small smile and uttered, "correct." The black Escalade then grew silent once more as Nestor drove away from the small town of Charming. However, the Miller woman couldn't help but continue to look down at the letter in her lap instead of paying attention to the road. Victoria was going to wait until she was alone to read her brother's letter in private but she knew that would be over an hour and she didn't want to wait any longer, so Victoria took a quick glance over to Nestor to see he wasn't paying attention to her before she quickly opened up the pale envelope.

The Miller woman took a deep breath and closed her hazel eyes as she tried to prepare herself for what she would read when she slowly opened up the folded paper. Victoria gave herself a moment before the brunette woman looked down at her brother's horrible writing skills and began to read the first words of Nathan Miller for the first time in over a year in a half ~

         _Dear Tori-bug,_

_How you doing, baby sister? I know it's been awhile since we've had the chance to talk but I just didn't want to take the chance. I didn't want to put you in danger, but Quinn finally convinced me that no one would find out about this. I know you're probably still pissed at me for basically shutting you out since I've been in here but it's for the best, Victoria, and you know that. You've been involved with the club since we were kids and I know the guys will keep you safe but it's hard to protect you when you're still living at home._

_Speaking of home, that is another reason why I don't want you to come up here to Stockton. Hank is still out there and we don't know if he'll ever come back for you. You know dad has "business partners" all around the state, so there could be a possibility that he's keeping tabs on me and I don't want him to find you again. I know it's been years since anyone has seen Hank, but we can't take any chances or I will kill that son of a bitch if he does ever come back to Santo Padre like I should have done back then. I just want you to stay safe, Victoria, so I hope you aren't still pissed at me after you read this and understand that I just want what is best for my baby sister._

_Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's get to what you have probably been waiting for since Quinn handed this to you; I'm okay, Tori-bug. I've been staying out of trouble this year and keeping my head down. The Sons's connections are keeping me safe from all of the gangs in here, so you stop worrying, alright? Now, I do have some good news for you. I spoke to my lawyer a few weeks ago and he thinks the court might be looking into my case again. I don't want you to get your hopes up but I think we'll be getting some good news in a couple of months. I'll give the guys a call whenever I get an update to tell you._

_I have so many things I wish I could finally say to you, Tori-bug, but I just can't seem to put them into words. The one thing that I know I need to say, though, is how sorry I am. I know this is long overdue, but it's time I apologize to you about a lot of things, Victoria. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you through these last twelve years and all the things I've missed in your life since you were sixteen. It kills me to know that I couldn't watch you grow into the strong woman you are now. But most importantly, I'm sorry I never realized what was happening when we were kids and for what dad was doing to you._

_I still feel absolutely horrible that I didn't even know Hank and his friends were doing that to you since you were thirteen. I should have known, though. I was supposed to be protecting you and I failed to see what was happening right under my nose. It will be my biggest regret in life that I didn't realize you were in pain for those three long years. If I would have known, I would have taken you to Charming with me a long time ago._

_I know we never got the chance to talk about what happened before I got locked up, so I have no idea what you had to go through, Tori-bug, and I know it's twelve years too late but I hope and pray that you had someone there for you and talked to someone about those three years. I can't even imagine the pain you had to go through to survive the abuse and move forward with your life (for that I am so sorry for not being able to protect you better), but you wanna know what?_

_I am so proud of you, Tori-bug. I know I never got the chance to tell you that but you went through hell and came out stronger. You are an absolute warrior. I never did say that enough when we were kids but I really am proud of you and I always have been. Hell, you survived all that abuse for three years and you are now a successful pediatric nurse like you always wanted (Happy told me). I'm not even surprised, Tori-bug, since you've always been this brave, strong, and determined girl._

_You've made me a proud brother but I just wish I could have cheered you on by your side through all these milestones. Nonetheless, I am extremely happy of the woman that you have grown to be - despite the fact that I couldn't protect you or save you from all of these hardships that you had to face nor could I be there to support you through all the good things._

_You deserve all the happiness in the world, Victoria, and I hope that you are in fact happy. You deserve the sun and the moon, baby sister. I just want you to know that it makes me feel so overjoyed of who you are today. I've missed so much in your life and I can never apologize enough for missing those twelve years but it was all worth it in the end. You became this smart and strong woman, even after all the shit Hank put you through, and that is all I have ever wanted for you. Your happiness is so worth my freedom, Tori-bug, so don't go blaming yourself. It was my duty as your brother to protect you, even though I wished I could have done it sooner, and I don't regret a second of it._

_I miss you so damn much, Tori-bug, but this is where this letter ends. I wish I could see your beautiful face and hear your lovable voice but we both know that is not possible right now. I just hope you are happy and staying safe. I love you, baby sister, and remember - you're my strong warrior girl and I am so proud of you._

                                                                      _Love, Nate_

Victoria's hazel eyes immediately teared up as she stared at the last word from her brother. Well, actually, they had been watering since the first sentence but warm tears were now slowly and silently streaming down her face. The brunette nurse honestly didn't think Nathan's words were going to affect her so much but they did. It was just all these memories and emotions from their childhood that caused her emotional state. 

Victoria really tried to push the event that caused her brother's imprisonment to the very back of her mind but after Nathan mentioning it multiple times, it caused all those horrible memories to come back. The brunette woman didn't blame her brother, though, since he only knew the truth for about thirty minutes until the police showed up, so she knew Nathan was still trying to absorb all the abuse that she went through. It was just hard for Victoria to think about since the only other person that knew the truth about it is Ezekiel. 

Victoria honestly didn't even want to tell her best friend when it happened but the whole ordeal was all over the news when it happened twelve years ago, so she couldn't exactly hide it. Santo Padre wasn't known for their secrets, so Nathan's trial was all over the local news shows and radio stations - which was the reason why she had told Ezekiel. However, the case, thankfully, only focused on the murder of their father's friend instead of the sexual assault since Nathan walked in before it happened. The judge didn't add in the abuse into Nathan's case since the police said that there was no proof of their father's friend actually touching her. Victoria only ended up telling Ezekiel about it because of the rumors of the abuse around town. However, no one, except for Nathan, knew that it didn't only happen one time but over a three year period - and even then, Nathan didn't know all what their father made her do. It was just something that Victoria has always kept hidden away. 

"Hey," the soft voice of the Oceteva man whispered as he lightly placed his hand onto the Miller woman's bare knee when he noticed that she was shaking like a leaf. "Are you okay?" Nestor questioned with his brows deeply furrowed while he stared over at Victoria when they came to a stop from the traffic as he could feel the sadness and despair rolling off of the brunette nurse. 

The Miller woman flinched at the touch as she was basically reliving all the trauma over again before she quickly wiped the tears from her hazel eyes and gave Nestor a small smile. Victoria let out a humorless chuckle and mumbled, "I'm fine," before she carefully folded up the letter and placed it into her leather purse. The brunette nurse then folded her arms over her chest to offer herself some type of comfort before she murmured, "it's just been a long time since I've heard from my brother and it was the first time he actually mentioned what caused him to go to prison from what our father did."

The Oceteva man stared deeply into Victoria's hazel eyes while he waited for the traffic to clear up as he tried to figure the brunette woman out. Nestor knew that her brother was in prison for killing someone and that she isn't close to her parents but he just didn't know how the two were connected. The brown eyed man knew he could cause Victoria to close up on him, but he was too curious to stop, so Nestor gently inquired as he hoped he didn't spook the brunette woman, "what did happen back then? What did your father do to cause your brother to go away for murder?"

Victoria immediately began to bite down on her bottom lip at the question as she hated talking or even thinking about the answer. However, it was already on her mind and Nestor has only been nice and she felt like she could trust him, so Victoria released a small sigh before she clued the cartel assassin about her childhood, "I know I mentioned that my father was a drug dealer around town but he also was involved in some other illegal things." The Miller woman watched as Nestor nodded his head as he remembered what she was talking about before Victoria continued with bitterness in her voice, "let's just say... Hank, my father's, other business was selling his daughter to his buddies."

Nestor clinched his fingers tightly around the leather steering wheel of his black Escalade without even realizing it as a familiar anger instantly began to fill his veins. The Oceteva man honestly didn't know what he had been expecting to what Victoria was going to tell him, but it definitely hadn't been this. Nestor wasn't even sure what it all entailed by Victoria's father 'selling' her. He didn't know if it was a sexual, physical abuse, or something completely different since the brunette nurse didn't give him much information. The one thing the cartel assassin knew at the moment, though, is that he had a strong emotion of finding Victoria's father and torturing him until his death.

Nestor was beginning to care a lot about Victoria from the short time that he has gotten to know her, so he hated even thinking or hearing a tiny bit of what happened to the brunette nurse during her childhood - despite all of the torture and horrible things that he has done himself. The Oceteva man, however, knew the next thing that would come out of his mouth could possibly cause Victoria to close him out or cause him to want to murder her father even more, but Nestor knew that he needed to know everything so the Oceteva man tried to unclench his jaw as best as he could before he gently asked the brunette nurse, "what did they do to you, Victoria?"

The emotional Miller woman stared directly into the Oceteva man's brown eyes for a moment with her brows deeply furrowed as she didn't get why Nestor was getting so invested into her horrible past before she quickly waved her hand. "It's not important anymore," Victoria mumbled, "I shouldn't have said anything. It's all in the past, anyway." The brunette nurse then quickly began to look around the road as she tried to find a way to change the conversation away from her childhood. Thankfully, Victoria spotted a familiar restaurant after a minute or two, so the Miller woman pointed towards the old place and exclaimed, "oh! I love -"

However, before Victoria could finish her sentence about the small and familiar place, the Oceteva man quickly interrupted the rambling woman as he gently placed his large and warm hand back onto the brunette nurse's exposed knee and softly murmured to grab Victoria's attention, "hey." 

The Oceteva man waited until Victoria's hazel eyes were locked with his brown ones before he continued in his surprisingly kind and gentle voice as he assured the brunette woman, "I'm not going to pressure you to tell me anything, you know that, right?" Nestor then gave Victoria a tiny smile before he stated, "I won't judge you because of the things that your father made you do." The Oceteva man quietly shook his head before he expressed truthfully, "I know I don't have the whole story or know anything about what you had to go through, but you don't have to be frightened or afraid to talk about it with me." Nestor squeezed the Miller woman's knee for one final time with a small smile as he softly told the brunette nurse, "I'll be here for you, Victoria."

The pediatric nurse felt like she was frozen in her spot after Nestor's kind words while she stared into his now soft, instead of his usual hard, brown eyes. Victoria honestly hadn't been expecting the compassionate words from the cartel assassin - someone who she had met only a week ago. However, it meant the world to the Miller woman since Nestor is the first person since Ezekiel that she had told about her childhood- despite the fact that she didn't really actually tell Nestor what exactly happened. It was still a huge step for Victoria since she has always kept that part of her life in a locked box for the past twelve years.

"Thank you," the brunette nurse softly uttered once she finally got over her shock of the kindness that she was being shown by a very dangerous man. "I appreciate it," Victoria murmured as she placed her hand over Nestor's that was her knee and gave it a slight squeeze to show her gratitude for the fact that she could trust him with her past and the fact that he wasn't pushing her to talk about the trauma that has haunted her dreams for years. 

Victoria honestly didn't know if she would ever be ready to talk about what her father made her do with his friends and the physical abuse that she took from both of her parents. She had kept it hidden for so long that Victoria felt like it would ruin everything that she built to have a happy life away from that part of her. Victoria didn't even go to the house that had caused all of those horrible memories. It was just a place that she had boarded up when her father skipped town and her mother was put in jail, so no one could experience what she had to go through for those three long years. Victoria honestly didn't see any reason to open up that old wound, anyway. She is a grown woman now and she knows how to protect herself and isn't afraid of her parents anymore. Victoria just prayed that someone didn't try to open it up anymore than it already is or there would be a floodgate of nightmares that Victoria wanted to keep away for the rest of her life. 

The Miller woman took a deep breath as she closed her hazel eyes while she pushed all those memories away and put that wall back up in her mind when she felt tears wanting to leak out. Victoria then glanced over the road when she felt normal again now that she pushed her childhood away before the brunette nurse's brows instantly furrowed. "You know you're heading towards Los Angeles, right?" Victoria inquired after she realized that they were going the complete opposite direction of her hometown. 

Nestor let out a quiet chuckle with an amused smile playing on his lips while he drove down the highway before Nestor took a quick glance over to the puzzled woman. "Actually, we're headed towards San Diego," the Oceteva man corrected Victoria as if that would help her understand what was going on any better. 

Victoria rose one of her eyebrows at the Oceteva man before she curiously wondered as she decided to humor the cartel assassin for a moment, "and why are we going to San Diego instead of Santo Padre?" The Miller woman honestly thought they were heading back home so she was actually surprised and a little nervous at the fact that wasn't Nestor's plan. 

The Oceteva man gave the Miller woman a small and quick smile before he focused back onto the busy highway. Nestor waited until he hit another red light before he turned his attention back onto the puzzled nurse and reminded Victoria what he said earlier today with a lightness in his usual hard voice, "I promised you a fun and normal day." The cartel assassin then shot Victoria a teasing smirk and exclaimed, "and I always stick to my promises."

The black Escalade was silent for a few minutes once the Miller woman and the Oceteva man shared a small smile with each other before they continued to travel down the road in a calm and relaxed silence. However, though, once they merged onto Interstate 405 South and merged onto California-73 South towards San Diego, Nestor decided to finally explain to Victoria about where he was taking her as he secretly uttered, "I found this place a couple of years ago and I've came here ever since."

Victoria turned her body to the side, so she was staring at the side of the Oceteva man's face before she lifted an amused eyebrow at how secretive Nestor was being. "I'm guessing you aren't going to tell me where we're going?" The Miller woman inquired in a form of a question - even though she felt like she already knew the answer.

Nestor let out a deep chuckle at the impatient woman before he took a glance over at Victoria with a playfulness in his brown eyes that the cartel assassin hadn't felt in years. "You would be correct," the Oceteva man uttered as he affirmed what the brunette nurse thought.

The Miller woman couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes as she wasn't the best with surprises. Victoria always hated surprises since she was little and she would try to guess her birthday presents from Nathan. The brunette nurse figured it wouldn't hurt to try to guess like she did as a child, so Victoria twisted her body even further until her back was against the window of the SUV before she began to guess where they were going, "aaaare... we going to a skating rink?"

The Oceteva man shook his head in amusement as he knew Victoria was trying to spoil the surprise. "Nope," Nestor told the extremely curious nurse before he quickly turned his brown irises over to Victoria when he pulled to a stop at an intersection. "Now stop trying to guess," Nestor told the Miller woman as he shot her a playful scolding look. "Just enjoy the view and relax," the Oceteva man instructed as he rolled down the windows when he noticed that they were getting closer. 

"I'm not a fan of surprises," Victoria mumbled stubbornly with her bottom lip pouted out before she decided to listen to the Oceteva man as she looked out of the window. The Miller woman figured since Nestor wasn't going to tell her, that she would just figure it out herself by looking at their surroundings. However, Victoria couldn't help, even though she was a little bothered by not knowing where they were going, but to be amazed by the coast of San Diego. The seaside of the city was quite gorgeous. Victoria usually stayed towards the smaller parts of San Diego when she would come for a tattoo consult, so it was definitely a new experience for the Miller woman. 

"You will like this surprise," the Oceteva man told the brunette woman, who was memorized by all of the bright water that they were passing, with a small chuckle before he murmured with amusement in his voice, "trust me."

Victoria felt like she was sort of in a trance as they drove by all of the bright and clear blue water of the ocean. It was the first time that she was seeing something so beautiful, so the Miller woman could only tell Nestor in a mumble, "mhmm... We'll see," as she couldn't even be bothered by the fact that she didn't know where they were heading as she was just in love right now. 

Nestor glanced over to the Miller woman, who basically had her head hanging out of the window like an excited golden retriever, before he murmured with a chuckle, "patience,  _mi reina_."  _[my queen]_  It instantly pulled a smile onto the cartel assassin's lips as he felt proud to be able to cause Victoria to relax and enjoy herself instead of being surrounded by constantly protective and dangerous bikers. 

The Miller woman moved her hazel eyes over to the Oceteva man when she heard him softly utter something in Spanish. Victoria wasn't familiar with the word from her lessons with Angel or Pop over the years, so the curious part of Victoria wanted to know what Nestor had said. "What does  _mi reina_ mean?" The brunette nurse wondered as she raised up an intrigued eyebrow at the cartel assassin. 

Nestor felt his body freeze for half of a second before he quickly got control of himself once he realized what he had said. The Oceteva man mentally scolded himself for that small slip up. Nestor usually was in control of everything and was cautious of what he said but with Victoria, it made Nestor lose all that focus.  _You are trouble, mi reina,_ Nestor thought as he could feel that he was going to continue to lose himself around the brunette woman. 

Thankfully, for the Oceteva man, he didn't have to explain to Victoria what he had accidentally murmured as he drove through the rough road on the beach and noticed that they were at the location. "Oh, look," Nestor swiftly exclaimed before the Miller woman could question him any further, "we're here."

Victoria couldn't help but furrow her brows as she stared over at Nestor. She didn't understand why he wasn't telling her what two words meant but the Miller woman decided to push that thought away since Nestor had pulled the car to a stop and jumped out of the vehicle. Victoria made a mental note to ask one of the Reyes men or Nestor at a later time before she placed her sketchbook on the dashboard and placed her hand into Nestor's when he opened the passenger door for her.

The Miller woman was in complete awe once she placed her sandals down onto the soft sand and looked around their surroundings. The clear water was even better close up instead of inside of the Escalade, in Victoria's opinion, as her hazel eyes ignored the house in front of her and roamed over the crashing waves with no thought of ever looking away. Victoria felt like she was in a dream or a trance. The ocean was just so calming and relaxing that it made every other thing in her life just wash away when the waves would crash against the sand before being sucked back into the ocean. 

The Oceteva man watched the Miller woman for a couple of silent minutes with a small smile playing on his lips as he could tell the place was having a good effect on her before Nestor announced to the brunette nurse, "welcome to La Jolla Cove." Nestor lightly pulled onto Victoria's hand that was still linked with his as he walked her up the long ramp to the baby blue colored beach house. The Oceteva man led Victoria around the large porch until there was nothing blocking the ocean before he continued, "I found this place when I first arrived in California after my second tour in the Navy."

The sound of Nestor's voice finally caused the Miller woman to get out of her trance and to take her hazel eyes off of the water for the first time as she turned her body and stared up at the cartel assassin. "Do you visit here a lot?" Victoria curiously wondered as she grew interested of the place that the Oceteva man brought her to.

Nestor nodded his head a soft smile playing on his lips before he answered the Miller woman's question, "I spent so many years surrounded by water when I was serving in the Military so when I saw this place after I came back to the states, I just knew that I needed to come here. The Navy became my home, so this place always felt like a second home that I could come to when I needed to get away." The Oceteva man paused for a moment as he breathed in the smell of the ocean before he looked down at the short woman and muttered with a grin, "another thing that makes this place so great and perfect was the fact that this house was an art studio when I came."

The Miller woman's hazel eyes widened in surprise before she wondered, "woah, really?" Victoria found it shocking that the one place Nestor stopped at had his hobby located in the same place.  _It really is a perfect place,_ the brunette nurse thought as the Oceteva man had his love for water and an art studio for his painting.

Nestor let out a deep chuckle as he nodded his head and muttered, "yeah." The Oceteva man gazed back over to the ocean with another soft smile adoring his lips before he looked back down to Victoria as he stated, "the art studio was in business for over twenty years by the time I stopped here." Nestor then looked towards the large window of the art studio before he uttered with a small shrug, "I didn't know what to do with my life after my second tour with the Navy and I had all this money, so I just ended up buying the place."

Victoria swiftly stood up straight and placed herself in front of the Oceteva man as soon as she heard what came out of the cartel assassin's mouth before she gaped as she pointed back towards the blue colored building behind her, "wait, you own this?"

The Oceteva man couldn't help but let out another chuckle at the shocked brunette woman before he explained in a soft murmur, "yeah, like I said, I had all this money and I didn't have a home in California, so I figured it was a perfect start with the calm ocean in front of me and the opportunity to enjoy my hobby of painting without worrying about anything or anyone bothering me."

Victoria silently nodded her head as she slowly twirled her body around while she took in her surroundings from the calming sound of the clear waves continuously crashing together to the pink and orange tint of the sunset before the Miller woman finally glanced into the baby blue colored building that belongs to the cartel assassin. "It's beautiful," Victoria softly murmured as she could see herself getting lost in this place. The brunette nurse then turned her attention back onto the relaxed Nestor after she got out of her dream-like trance, once again, before she curiously wondered with a raised eyebrow, "so, why did you bring me here?"

Nestor lightly shrugged his shoulders before he crossed his arms over his dark button up shirt and leaned against the white painted railing of the porch. "Well, earlier you mentioned that you have never gotten the chance to see clear water in person," the Oceteva man began with a soft tint to his voice before he concluded, "so I thought this would be the perfect place for you to relax on your day off."

The Miller woman couldn't help the bright smile that immediately worked its way onto her pink painted lips as she felt her heart soar at the kind and selfless act from the dangerous man that works for the Galindo cartel. "Thank you, Nestor," the brunette nurse softly murmured as she had her hazel eyes connected with the man's equally kind brown ones. 

Victoria knew that she shouldn't still be that surprised by the way the Oceteva man has been treating her but the Miller woman couldn't help but continue to be shocked by how kind and sweet Nestor, the man she should be afraid of, has treated her. It is just a different experience for Victoria since she always has this strong wall up when it comes to new men in her life, so it's such a breath of fresh air for the Miller woman to see the honesty and kindness from the stereotypical dangerous man. 

The Oceteva man nodded his head once as he silently accepted the praise from the brunette nurse before he held out his hand. "Come," Nestor murmured before he told Victoria, "I wanna show you the place." The cartel assassin waited until Victoria slipped her warm fingers through his before Nestor headed around the porch with the Miller woman following closely beside him as he pulled her towards the side entrance of his art studio.

Nestor released the brunette nurse's hand once they reached the clear glass door before he grabbed the keys from his black slacks and unlocked the door. "Ladies first," the Oceteva man murmured as he pushed the door open and waited for Victoria to enter before he silently followed behind her.

Victoria's hazel eyes immediately was drawn towards the different canvases of bright colors hanging and lying all around the spacious area as soon as she had stepped foot onto the grey flooring of the art studio. "Wow," the Miller woman mumbled in astonishment as she slowly walked towards a gorgeous painting of a villa with a meadow filled with the most colorful array of flowers. "T-This is amazing," Victoria voiced her thoughts to the Oceteva man as she was in love with all the details.

Nestor slowly made his way up to the Miller woman with his black leather dress shoes clanking against the hard floors of the art studio until he was standing directly behind the brunette nurse. The Oceteva man lightly placed his large and rough hand onto Victoria's exposed hip as he glanced down at the canvas before he hummed as he recalled, "ah, that one was inspired by my stay off of the coast of Belize in Cayo Espanto."

Victoria twisted her body to the side so she was turned into Nestor's body before she curiously wondered, "you've been to this place and you painted this yourself?" The Miller woman was honestly impressed as she glanced between the Oceteva man and the beautiful painting. It looked like something you could only imagine in your dreams and Victoria was also surprised as she never put much thought in how good Nestor would be at his hobby. 

Nestor nodded his head before he explained, "I painted this while I was in Belize after my third tour with the Navy and I've always kept it with me." The Oceteva man then took a step back from the Miller woman and slowly walked around the room before he continued to tell Victoria, "every painting you see in here are the ones I have done over my lifetime."

"You have some serious talent, Nestor," the Miller woman complimented breathlessly as she slowly strolled around the art studio and stared at each piece in awe like she was in a world famous museum as she admired all of the different styles and paintings of array of things like landscapes, buildings, and even people. 

The Oceteva man silently watched the Miller woman look at his work with a small grin playing on his lips as Nestor felt a sense of pride of seeing how Victoria was reacting to his personal paintings. Nestor then shook his head after a moment when he realized he was staring too much before he cleared his throat and spoke for the first time in at least five minutes. "So, I know you draw," the cartel assassin commented as he had seen Victoria's artwork in the large sketchbook that she had been carrying today before Nestor curiously wondered, "but have you ever dabbled in painting?"

Victoria kept her hazel eyes locked on a gorgeous piece of Rio de Janeiro that captured her attention as she slowly shook her head to Nestor's question. "Oh, it's been years since I've last picked up a brush," the Miller woman stated with a hint of sadness in her voice before she explained, "I barely even have time when I'm not working at the hospital to draw up a couple of tattoos, so I never have those hours that I'd want to paint." 

Nestor silently hummed to himself before he quietly walked to the corner of the room and grabbed a clean and thin paintbrush before he stood a few steps behind the Miller woman as he had an idea. "Well, how about now?" The Oceteva man inquired once he came to a stop and waited until Victoria faced him before he commented and wondered with a small shrug of his shoulders as he lifted the item in his hand into the air, "I don't mind driving back to Santo Padre later tonight, so if you are up for it, what about some painting?"

The Miller woman stared across at the Oceteva man for a silent moment while she bit down on her bottom lip as she really wanted nothing more to paint but she also didn't want to hold Nestor back if he needed to be in Santo Padre. "Are you sure?" Victoria cautiously inquired before she voiced her thoughts as she continued, "Miguel doesn't need you any time soon? I don't want to get you in trouble with the boss if you need to go back."

Nestor let out a deep chuckle at the worried brunette woman before he assured the pediatric nurse, "Miguel can handle things without me for one night." The Oceteva man then took a step closer towards Victoria with a small but playful smirk playing across his lips before he inquired once more, "so, are you in?"

Victoria couldn't help the bright grin that lifted onto her pink painted lips when she knew that they had nowhere to be right now before she swiftly grabbed the paintbrush from Nestor's hand. "Let's do this," the Miller woman exclaimed excitedly as she couldn't wait to be relaxed and engrossed in her own painting for the first time in years while also somehow getting covered in different colored paints like she used to when she was in college.

The Oceteva man gave the brunette woman a small smile as he could tell how excited she was before he murmured, "follow me." Nestor then silently lead Victoria over to a pair of easels by the large double panel window doors that faced the clear water of La Jolla Cove before he pulled out a rolling table and told Victoria, "I have any color imaginable in here." The cartel assassin glanced down at the grinning Miller woman before he told her with another small smile, "this is about taking a break from our real lives, so just relax and go crazy if you really need to."

The Miller woman let out an amused chuckle at the idea of her going crazy before she murmured out, "yes, sir." Victoria then shot Nestor a teasing smirk before she faced the large window doors and took her hair down from its messy do that she had quickly did at the SAMCRO clubhouse. The brunette nurse fixed her brunette hair into a tight bun so it wouldn't bother her while she was painting before she glanced at her reflection to make sure it was perfect. 

Victoria headed left towards the rolling table once she was happy with her hair and glanced down at all of the array of colors. The Miller woman already knew what she wanted to paint ever since Nestor offered her the chance, so Victoria instantly sought out the purple paint along with the black and grey pods. The brunette nurse nodded her head to herself once she realized that she had everything that she would need before she turned around to begin to paint. 

However, before Victoria could reach her blank canvas, she suddenly stopped when she saw something that had every single bit of her attention. The image of the Oceteva man hanging up his button up shirt along the wall and the sight of Nestor in a tight black tank top that showed off his tattooed covered body and his strong muscles made Victoria forget everything else as she bit down on her bottom lip and secretly enjoyed the show.

The Miller woman, however, though, wasn't as sneaky as she thought she was being since once Nestor hung up his dress shirt and turned around, the cartel assassin immediately noticed he had an audience. The Oceteva man watched Victoria for a few moments with a large smirk across his lips before he decided to tease her, "do you want me to stay like this so you can paint?"

Victoria's face instantly turned bright red with a burning blush once she realized that she didn't see Nestor staring at her which meant that she had been caught red handed. However, the Miller woman was never going to admit that, so she only rolled her hazel eyes and stubbornly mumbled under her breath, "I wasn't staring." Victoria then quickly turned around and headed over to her canvas when she heard Nestor chuckling loudly as she definitely didn't need anymore embarrassment right now. 

Victoria, instead, focused on setting up her painting station as she placed the colors on a small table beside her and grabbed a glass of water along with a couple of different sized paintbrushes. The Miller woman was thankful when Nestor copied her and didn't comment on her staring, so Victoria slowly released the tension in her body before she did a quick sketch of a rose with a skull inside of it that she had been thinking about for the last few weeks.

The Miller woman corrected a couple of marks that she didn't like on her quick drawing before Victoria nodded her head in acceptance as she silently placed the pencil down onto the small table. Victoria then picked up a thin paintbrush and dipped it into the light grey pod before she slowly began to paint the outline of the first petal of the rose with her usual steady hand. 

Victoria couldn't help the content but small smile that slowly rose onto her lips as she felt so relaxed now that she was finally painting again. The style of artistry was just so calming by the slow and smooth movements of the paintbrush against the canvas. The brunette nurse used to love painting while she was getting her nursing degree as it was a way for her to calm her nerves from worrying about her grades and taking care of the Reyes men, so Victoria was in heaven right now. 

The calm and relaxed Miller woman continued to work on her painting as she moved onto the next layer of the rose's petals which consisted of outlining the petal with the light grey paint before coloring it in with the purple and adding some details with the black paint. It was a flowing process that Victoria had missed so much as it was like her heart was in sync with her actions.

However, though, just as Victoria was cleaning the paintbrush covered in purple into the small glass of water to work on the third petal, the Oceteva man decided to break the tranquility of silence as he glanced over to her canvas to see what she was working on. Nestor was impressed, even though he knew he would be, before he curiously wondered as he continued to work on his own piece of the sunset outside of the window doors, "how did you come up with that design so quickly or are you really a secret prodigy artist?"

Victoria let out a small chuckle as she shook her head in amusement before she mumbled as she felt that the thought was absolutely ridiculous, "I'm not some prodigy." The Miller woman then dipped her fresh paintbrush into the light grey ink before she explained how she came up with the idea, "it's a tattoo design that I've recently been trying to perfect these last couple of weeks."

Nestor silently nodded his head in understanding before he took another glance over to the Miller woman's canvas as he complimented, "it's really gorgeous." The Oceteva man then moved his brown eyes up to the relaxed figure of Victoria before he inquired with a small smirk playing on his lips as he knew the reaction he was going to get from his question, "speaking of tattoos, when are you going to take me on?"

The Miller woman immediately rolled her hazel eyes while she shook her head as she knew Nestor would bring this up again after the first two times that he had mentioned it. Victoria then took a glance over to the Oceteva man and shot him a smirk before she exclaimed with a small chuckle, "in your dreams, Nestor."

The Oceteva man let out a throaty groan before he exclaimed, "oh, come on." Nestor paused his painting as he brought his paintbrush from the canvas before he glanced over to Victoria and tried to persuade the brunette woman to give him a tattoo, "we both know how amazing you are. I saw it today and you have extreme talent when it comes to tattoos."

Victoria let out a chuckle at the begging but dangerous assassin for the Galindo cartel before she, once again, rolled her hazel eyes. "Stop kissing my ass," the Miller woman joked with amusement throughout her voice before Victoria stated as she carefully outlined the next rose petal, "it's not gonna happen."

Nestor turned his attention solely onto the Miller woman as he placed his orange colored paintbrush onto the border of the large easel before he crossed his arms over his black tank top and inquired with a hint of teasing and competitiveness in his voice as he continued to try to persuade Victoria, "what? Are you scared?"

The Miller woman furrowed her brows at the accusation before she hurriedly exclaimed, "no! Of course not!" Victoria was anything but scared with everything that she had gone through in her life, so the brunette nurse was definitely not going to let Nestor get away with calling her scared when that wasn't the case at all.

The Oceteva man let out a throaty chuckle before he commented, "I think you are." Nestor then left his position in front of his canvas and slowly but silently walked directly behind the focused Miller woman until he could feel the warmth of her body against his own. "I think you are scared to touch me," the cartel assassin whispered against the shell of Victoria's ear. Nestor decided to tease the brunette nurse as he just felt this sense of calmness when he was around her which made Nestor feel like he could be himself with her instead of the hard assassin that he was back in Santo Padre for the Galindo cartel.

Victoria immediately reacted to Nestor's body and his voice as a shiver ran down her spine when she felt his breath on her skin along with the warming blush that reached her cheeks. The Miller woman hated that her body was reacting this way but she definitely wasn't going to let the assassin know about what he is doing to her, so Victoria rolled her hazel eyes before she mumbled, "I'm not scared. I just don't tattoo a lot of people."

Victoria was honestly telling the truth. She didn't really tattoo that many people except for Happy and Angel along with a couple of other bikers from SAMCRO and the Mayans. Victoria only liked doing tattoos for people that she trusted with her life and Victoria felt like she wasn't that close to Nestor to be doing one of his tattoos right now. 

"Mhmm," the Oceteva man mumbled against the back of the Miller woman's warm and exposed neck before he teased and taunted Victoria in a quiet but deep voice, "whatever you say, scaredy cat."

The Miller woman couldn't help the competitive part of her that usually only comes out around her family of bikers spark inside of her as she playfully rolled her hazel eyes and muttered, "I'm not scared, you ass." Victoria knew that Nestor was messing around with her, so the brunette nurse swiftly turned around and took a step into the assassin's personal space as she decided to get him back. "Trust me," the Miller woman whispered as she leaned as close as she could to Nestor without touching him before she continued, "if I wanted to touch you for that long then I would have already agreed."

The Oceteva man and the Miller woman stared directly into each other's eyes as soon as the last letter slipped out of Victoria's lips like they were stuck in a trance. There was this tense silence that followed along with only their breathing and the sound of the waves crashing behind them through the whole art studio. Finally, though, after about three minutes of staring at Nestor, the brunette nurse realized what was happening. Victoria didn't mean for this tension to be built as she just wanted to get back at the assassin.

The Miller woman knew the tension, well sexual tension, wasn't something that she needed with the member of the Galindo cartel because of her connection to the Mayans, so Victoria took a deep breath before she swiftly lifted up her purple covered paintbrush to Nestor's cheek to distract him from the obvious tension and swiped it across his skin with a smirk on her lips as she ignored the emotions between them. "Now, let me focus," Victoria exclaimed with a hint of playfulness in her voice once she noticed Nestor's shocked expression before she murmured, "I thought I was supposed to be relaxing."

The Oceteva man let out a throaty and deep chuckle at the brunette woman that he was so lost in before he uttered, "no, you're right." Nestor shot Victoria a small smirk as he added, "I'll convince you another day about my tattoo." The cartel assassin then squeezed the Miller nurse's exposed waist and rubbed his rough thumb along her skin before he finally released Victoria and made his way back to his painting of the sunset and the ocean from outside. 

Victoria let out a loud chuckle and playfully rolled her hazel eyes when she realized that Nestor wasn't going to quit asking her about the tattoo anytime soon before she also turned around and focused back on her painting. The Miller woman couldn't help but find it amusing that Nestor was going to continue to bug her about it but it was also fun to have this back and forth with each other as it made Victoria feel normal away from her crazy life. 

Victoria felt like around Nestor that all the things about their lives, motorcycle clubs and the cartel, just disappeared for a while and it was such a great feeling for the brunette nurse. She was used to worrying about the Mayans and Pop on a daily basis, so here right now with Nestor in San Diego was so relaxing for Victoria and she was savoring every second of it.

The Miller woman glanced over to the Oceteva man after a moment while she was dipping the paintbrush into the black ink to work on the skull now that the rose was finished and noticed that he had also glanced over to her. Victoria shot Nestor a small grin which caused the assassin to shot her one as well before she focused back onto her painting with happiness moving through her body. Victoria couldn't help the feeling of calmness that surrounded the art studio as she felt like her old self that didn't have the whole world resting on her shoulders. It was something that Victoria would have never guessed would happen around the dangerous assassin but the Miller woman definitely wasn't going to question it as Nestor made her feel relaxed and normal for once in her life. 


	9. Dinner With The Cartel

Victoria slowly pushed the silver diamond of her earring into her right ear with a slight shake of her fingers at seven in the evening on a Saturday. The Miller woman was quite anxious while she stood in front of her full body mirror in a simple, off the shoulder, black dress that stopped a few inches above her knee as it was officially the night of her dinner with the Galindo family. Emily had called her on Thursday, a few days after her trip to Charming and her evening with Nestor, and had set up a date for that following Saturday. 

The Miller woman had been anxious all Saturday morning and throughout the day as she tried to prepare herself for her dinner with the leader of the Galindo cartel. It didn't really help at all that Victoria didn't have to work at the hospital today and the Reyes brothers were busy with the club, so the brunette woman had to keep herself occupied. Victoria ended up doing all the laundry in her house and stressed baked two cakes and three dozen cupcakes. 

The baking did calm Victoria down a little bit but now that she was dressed and ready to go, her nerves were definitely back. The Miller woman trusts Emily with her life and she was basically becoming Nestor's friend since they've been talking more but Victoria was just on edge to be around Miguel. She knew that Miguel was dangerous by what Angel had told her about the Galindo cartel and what she had seen on the local news, so Victoria couldn't help but feel nervous about the dinner with the leader of the Galindo cartel.

Victoria let out a sigh as she shook her head to stop her thoughts from going too far about something bad going wrong tonight.  _It's just an innocent dinner in a public place,_ the brunette woman reminded herself as she fixed the sleeves of her black dress. The Miller woman briefly closed her hazel eyes as she tried to prepare herself for tonight before she was suddenly interrupted when there was a knock on her front door. Victoria couldn't help but frown since the club was busy all night and that was usually the only people that comes to her house.

The Miller woman honestly didn't know who it could be, so Victoria quickly shouted, "one second," before she grabbed her black leather clutch purse that she had earlier stashed her gun inside for just encase something were to happen tonight. Victoria then quickly jogged her way to the front door of her house with her black heels clacking against the wooden floorboards before she opened up the door to see who was there.

Victoria couldn't help but to be shocked, though, when she noticed that it was the Oceteva man who had been knocking on her front door. The Miller woman would have figured since Nestor is Miguel's head of security that she would just see him at the restaurant that she was meeting the Galindo family at, so she was surprised to see Nestor here right now in front of her. 

There was an amused grin playing on Nestor's lips while he waited for the brunette nurse to say something. However, when Victoria didn't utter a single sound as she continued to stare at him with her wide hazel eyes, the Oceteva man playfully waved his hand in front of the shocked woman's face as he teased, "hello? Is anyone awake in there?"

Victoria's tan cheeks immediately blushed beet red in embarrassment once she realized that she had gotten caught in her shocked state before she mumbled as she glanced down at her black heels, "sorry." The Miller woman then stood like that for a few seconds until she could get rid of her blushing mess before she slowly pushed a loose string of her brunette hair that had fallen out of her elegant bun and causally leaned her body against the doorway of her house as she curiously wondered, "so, what are you doing here?"

The Oceteva man crossed his arms over his white button down shirt as he stared down at the brunette woman with a slight smile playing on his lips as he always enjoyed watching Victoria turn red with embarrassment before he shook himself out of those enjoyable and normal thoughts as he cleared his throat. "Miguel and Emily wanted me to come pick you up for tonight," Nestor uttered as he answered the pediatric nurse's question. 

Victoria couldn't help but immediately begin to frown when she heard the cartel assassin's response before she mumbled, "I thought I was meeting them there." The Miller woman remembered exactly that only a few hours ago, Emily texted and called her about where to go tonight for their dinner, so she always figured that she was, in fact, meeting the Galindo family at the restaurant in Oakland.

Nestor lightly shrugged his shoulders like he didn't have a clue about what was going on about the change in Victoria's travel plans before he muttered, "I guess Miguel changed his mind." The Oceteva man, however, did, in fact, know why he was picking Victoria up because it was his idea in the first place. Nestor had considered the pediatric nurse a friend over the last couple of days of them talking and meeting up with each other - along with the fact that Victoria always seemed to help him forget about all the bad shit that he has done in his life for a little while. The Oceteva man figured, this way, he would get that opportunity to feel that calmness again, so he had immediately jumped at the chance to pick up the Miller woman when Miguel and Emily were speaking about their dinner plans an hour ago.

The pediatric nurse stared across at the cartel assassin for a moment with her brows furrowed in confusion before she also lightly shrugged her shoulders and muttered, "oh, alright." Victoria honestly didn't mind spending a little extra time with Nestor on the way to the restaurant. They had hung out together three days this week whenever they could - which usually happened to be them getting a drink after work since they are both so busy - but Victoria liked having the Oceteva man in her company. They both get along greatly when they are together like old friends, so Victoria shot the cartel assassin a small grin before she told him, "well, I'm ready whenever you are."

The Oceteva man shot the brunette nurse a grin right back as he was glad that Victoria was accepting his offer to drive her to the restaurant where Miguel and Emily would be meeting her. Nestor then unfolded his arms from his chest once he knew Victoria was in agreement to his plan before he held out his right arm and teasingly exclaimed, "after you, Ms. Miller."

Victoria couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes in amusement at the cartel assassin's playful attitude to herself as she turned around before she closed and locked the front door behind her. The Miller woman then faced the still grinning and relaxed Oceteva man once she was sure that her house was secure for the night before she linked her arm through Nestor's and muttered with a small chuckle, "you are so extra."

Nestor glanced over and down at the brunette woman on his arm with a small amused smile playing on his lips as they walked down the pathway of the house before he asked, "what?" The Oceteva man waited until they reached his black Audi before he teasingly uttered, "I'm just being a good chauffeur, Ms. Miller."

The pediatric nurse let out a loud chuckle that brightened up her whole face before she shook her head in amusement at the dangerous man beside her. Victoria could always find herself laughing or smiling whenever she was with Nestor - the Miller woman had come to realize through their four meetings together - and this time wasn't any different. "I'm sure you are," Victoria teased right back as she tapped her point and middle finger against the center of the cartel assassin's chest before she slowly moved her hand from Nestor's warm and steady body.

The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman a large grin as he released Victoria's lower arm before he silently opened the passenger door to his Audi. Nestor pushed the door open as he straightened out his body before he lightly placed his hand on Victoria's lower back and guided her into the black vehicle. The Oceteva man waited until Victoria was safety secured into the Audi before he closed her door and quickly rounded the car and got into the driver's seat. 

The cartel assassin and the pediatric nurse silently rode out of the deserted mountains that hid Victoria's house for her safety in complete silence with only the radio playing softly in the background. However, it wasn't a bad or awkward silence one would expect from two people that only just began to get to know one another this week. It was relaxing and calming between the two adults that they both appreciated from their hectic lives, respectively, as the head of security of the Galindo cartel and a pediatric nurse who also helps the local motorcycle club.

The comfortable silence in the black Audi continued for a couple more minutes until Nestor pulled onto the highway and began the drive towards Oakland to the restaurant at where Victoria would meet the Galindo family. The Oceteva man glanced over to the pediatric nurse for a quick second before he focused back onto the busy highway and curiously wondered, "so, how has your day been? Didn't you have the day off?"

Victoria nodded her head as she turned her attention onto the Oceteva man beside her instead of all of the deserts and mountains that they were passing. The Miller woman couldn't help but release a small chuckle at how her day had gone with her anxiety getting the better of her for the most part before she mumbled, "oh, it has definitely been very eventful."

Nestor glanced back over to the Miller woman when he came to a stop at a red light before he furrowed his brows when he heard the obvious annoyance and nervousness in Victoria's voice. The Oceteva man couldn't help but to be curious to Victoria's reaction, so he focused back onto the road when the light turned green before he inquired, "how so?"

The Miller woman couldn't help but huff out an embarrassed sigh while her tan cheeks turned beet red as she felt like that she had been complaining and ranting to the Oceteva man about the same thing for the past three days. "I've just been dreading tonight," Victoria mumbled out when Nestor looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. The brunette nurse felt embarrassed that she was still so nervous about the dinner with Galindo family but she couldn't help it after knowing who Miguel is. 

The Oceteva man let a small smile play on his lips as he drove through Oakland at the fact that Victoria was so nervous about tonight. "You mentioned that over coffee when Emily called you the other night," Nestor noted before he took a quick glance over at the Miller woman and inquired, "you're still nervous?" The cartel assassin had been trying to relax Victoria's mind about tonight for the last couple of days, so he was surprised that the pediatric nurse was still worried.

Victoria huffed out another but louder sigh as her worries about tonight began to cloud her mind once again. "I know it sounds stupid," the Miller woman began with an embarrassed mumble before she confessed as she nervously messed with the zipper on her black clutch purse, "I'm just anxious about meeting Miguel again." The cartel leader just made Victoria nervous - especially since she only met him once at the clubhouse.

Nestor couldn't help but release an amused chuckle at the brunette woman that was nervous about meeting Miguel - his closest best friend in  the world. It just amused the cartel assassin when Victoria easily hangs out with him after knowing what he did in his past life and what he currently does. "You hang out with an assassin and a former Navy Sailor," Nestor stated the obvious before he teased the woman beside him with a smirk playing on his lips, "how could you possibly be nervous about seeing Miguel?" 

The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes as she knew that she shouldn't be scared to meet her old best friend's husband when she hangs out with Nestor, an assassin, along with the Mayans, a motorcycle club, and is basically family with the motorcycle club in Charming. "I told you it was stupid," Victoria mumbled in embarrassed like she did every time that this topic would come up and her mind would run wild with nerves.

The Oceteva man could tell that the pediatric nurse was starting to stress herself out, so Nestor lightly and cautiously placed his right hand onto Victoria's exposed knee before he softly assured the brunette woman, "hey, it's not stupid. I'm just teasing." Nestor squeezed the Miller woman's knee before he placed his hand back onto the steering wheel to not make Victoria uncomfortable and continued in a soft tone of voice, "but, honestly, you have nothing to worry about, Victoria." The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman an assuring smile as he stated, "this isn't going to be an interrogation - trust me. Miguel wouldn't be taking you to a restaurant if he wanted to kill you and he certainly wouldn't do it in front of Emily and Cristobal."

Victoria did feel slightly relaxed at Nestor's reassuring words like he had been doing these past couple of days but when the cartel assassin reached the end of his speech, the Miller woman couldn't help but let out a loud scoff. "Well, that reassuring," the pediatric nurse sarcastically exclaimed as that didn't exactly help her nerves. 

Nestor released a deep chuckle at the nervous but sarcastic woman beside him before he lightly waved his hand and muttered, "you know what I mean." The Oceteva man paused for a moment as he focused on taking a right turn before he glanced over to the anxious nurse and assured her, "Miguel just wants to get to know his wife's childhood best friend. I promise, you aren't in any danger."

The Miller woman silently stared into Nestor's calm brown irises as she slowly took in his words while her right hand unconsciously gripped the black handgun in her clutch purse. Victoria knew that her thoughts were irrational since it wasn't likely Miguel would kill her just because of her connection to the Mayans - especially not with so many witnesses - so Victoria took a deep breath before she mumbled, "yeah, you're probably right."

The Oceteva man shot the pediatric nurse a wide but teasing grin when he could see that she was beginning to relax her body more while he slowly pulled his black Audi to a full stop in front of the meeting place with the Galindo family before Nestor told the Miller woman, "well, I'm glad we are in agreement because we're here."

Victoria instantly furrowed her brows as Nestor's words before she quickly took a glance out of the tinted window of the passenger seat - where she noticed the bright red sign for the restaurant; Duende. The Miller woman hadn't even realized that they were at the restaurant already - which immediately caused Victoria's anxiousness to return. However, Victoria knew that she couldn't turn back now or back out, so the pediatric nurse took a deep breath before she told Nestor in a mumble, "let's get this over with."

Nestor chuckled at the unmotivated Miller woman, who wasn't exactly excited about her dinner plans, while he turned off his black Audi. He found it amusing that the woman, who hangs out with dangerous people on a regular basis, was this nervous. However, Nestor decided to not tease her anymore - encase Victoria tried to escape before the appetizers. Instead, the Oceteva man stayed silent as he exited out of his vehicle before he rounded the Audi and opened Victoria's door. 

The Oceteva man held out his hand for the pediatric nurse to grip before he gently helped Victoria slide out of the low Audi. Nestor waited until Victoria was settled after she fixed the straps of her black dress and she gave him a small smile before the Oceteva man placed his hand onto Victoria's lower back and lead her towards Duende. Nestor, however, could feel the Miller woman's nerves by the shake of her body, so before he opened the door to the busy and loud restaurant, the cartel assassin leaned down and whispered by the shell of Victoria's ear, "you'll do fine."

Victoria glanced up at the Oceteva man for a small moment as she absorbed his kind words before she nodded her head with a smile playing on her lips. The Miller woman took another deep breath to ready herself for the meeting with her old childhood friend and the leader of the Galindo cartel before she nodded her head to herself and opened the wooden door to the restaurant to finally face the music.

The cartel assassin and the pediatric nurse silently entered Duende with Nestor's hand still resting comfortingly on Victoria's lower back before they came to a stop when a bright smile moved in front of them. "Hello! Welcome to Duende!" A cheery voice that belonged to the blonde woman in a white button up shirt uttered before she inquired, "do you have a reservation this evening?"

The Oceteva man gave the familiar blonde hostess a polite smile that he had seen on many occasions of Miguel coming to this very restaurant before the cartel assassin answered the woman's question in the same polite manner as he knew that the hostess wouldn't give him any trouble, "Mr. Galindo is already expecting us."

The blonde hostess's green eyes widened when she heard the very familiar name of the man that basically co-owned the Duende restaurant. "Of course," the woman uttered once she got control of her emotions and acted like her normal and professional self before she stated with a wave of her hand, "Mr. Galindo is in his regular private room."

Nestor gave the blonde woman a small nod as he knew that Miguel wouldn't be anywhere else - especially when he's with his family - before he uttered a small, "thank you." The Oceteva man then placed a little bit of pressure onto Victoria's lower back before he silently lead the anxious woman towards the back of the restaurant with his hand.

The Miller woman couldn't help but cautiously glance at everything and everyone as she slowly walked through the packed out restaurant. The fact that Miguel has a private room like the hostess mentioned made Victoria that more nervous since there wouldn't exactly be any witnesses if he did decide to kill her. However, those tragic and horrid thoughts were immediately washed away, though, when Victoria saw the happy family of the Galindo's gushing over their son around a circular table. It made Miguel seem so normal, so it helped the Miller woman relax a tiny bit as she and Nestor entered the private room. 

It only took about a minute and a half before the cartel assassin and the pediatric nurse was noticed when the blonde woman that is Emily Galindo happened to glance up and saw her old childhood best friend. The wife of the leader of the Galindo cartel quickly stood up from her seat and excitedly exclaimed, "you're here," before she rushed to pull the brunette woman into a tight hug.

Victoria released a slightly awkward chuckle while she hugged the blonde woman back just as tightly as she still felt nervous under the gaze of the leader of the Galindo cartel. However, the Miller woman knew that she needed to stay calm and relaxed, so she glanced up to the taller woman and uttered with a small smile, "I told you I would come."

The Galindo woman slowly released her old childhood best friend before she shot Victoria a wide grin. "I'm glad we could do this," Emily confessed as she felt this was the first time in a long time that she has actually been around someone that she sees as a friend instead of Miguel's mother or his associates all the time. 

Victoria nodded her head with the same small smile playing on her painted red lips before she softly murmured, "me too." The Miller woman, despite being so nervous and anxious of tonight with Miguel, was quite glad that she was hanging out with Emily again. The blonde woman with the same bright blue eyes that she had when they were children was someone that Victoria wanted to know like she used to, so Victoria knew this dinner was also a way to get close to Emily again and hopefully gain her old best friend back in her life.

Emily squeezed her childhood best friend's lower arm with an excited grin still shining across her nude colored lips before she murmured, "I have some people I want you to meet." The Galindo woman then lightly turned around with the Miller woman's lower arm in her grasp before she pointed towards her son as she began to introduce her family, "I know you already met mi rayito de sol  **[my little sunshine]**."

A large smile immediately pulled onto the Miller woman's face at the sight of the youngest Galindo member, who she only got the opportunity to meet once when she had coffee with Emily. The pediatric nurse couldn't help but walk around the large circular table to greet the small, adorable child as children have always been a soft spot for her. Victoria bent down once she was in front of the small child's stroller before she lightly trailed her finger tip against Cristobal's soft cheek as she murmured with a small smile playing on her lips, "hola, beautiful boy."

Victoria watched as a wide grin played on the small child's face as he let out a cheerful giggle for a moment before she straightened out her body as she stood back up to her normal height. However, though, the Miller woman's smile instantly disappeared when she noticed that the leader of the Galindo cartel was heading straight towards her.  _A_ _h, crap,_ Victoria swore to herself as she could feel her nerves sky-rocketing into overdrive. 

"Hello, Victoria," the smooth and suave voice of one of the most dangerous men in California greeted as he came to stop in front of the brunette woman. The leader of the Galindo cartel gave the pediatric nurse a wide grin and pulled Victoria into a polite hug before he stated, "it's good to see you again, Victoria."

The Miller woman tried to calm her nerves as best as she could while Miguel's rough arms hugged around her back that could easily sever her spine. Victoria released a silent deep breath and took a step back once the leader of the Galindo cartel released her so she could at least breathe without being so close to the dangerous man. The brunette woman then gave the man a polite smile as she tried to get control of her emotions before she murmured, "you too, Miguel." 

The leader of the Galindo cartel gave the anxious pediatric nurse another wide smile as he stared into Victoria's hazel eyes before he waved his hand towards the circular table. "Please, have a seat," Miguel requested in a easy and relaxed tone before he also joined the table as he took back his original seat beside his son's stroller. 

Victoria immediately swallowed down the thickness in her throat as she watched Miguel walk around the table as she felt like she could breathe a little bit better when the most dangerous man's attention wasn't solely on her. The Miller woman briefly closed her hazel eyes as she reminded herself that nothing was going to happen to her before she took a deep breath and walked around the table to take a seat at the last space. 

However, though, when Victoria went to pull out the shiny cherry wood chair to join the Galindo family, the Miller woman was surprised when a large hand shot out from behind her and pulled the chair out for her. The pediatric nurse swiftly turned her head to the side at the motion before she noticed it was the Oceteva man. Victoria honestly had forgotten about Nestor's presence ever since she had seen Miguel, so seeing the cartel assassin helped Victoria relax a little bit more since she's, surprisingly, comfortable when he's around her. 

The Miller woman, with the help of the Oceteva man, slowly and silently took her seat on the comfortable chair around the circular table before Victoria felt Nestor push her chair towards the table. The pediatric nurse turned her head to the side once she was settled in her chair before she gave Nestor a thankful smile and murmured her praise, "thank you." Victoria was honestly already feeling better now that she remembered that Nestor would be close by. She didn't know why, but the Miller woman felt herself relaxed and safe whenever she is around the cartel assassin after only befriending one another this week.

The Oceteva man gave the obviously anxious nurse a silent nod of his head before he squeezed the Miller woman's bare shoulder. Nestor could see and feel the tension every second that Victoria was inside of the room with Miguel, so the cartel assassin bent his body at his waist before he leaned down until his lips were at the shell of the brunette woman's ear. "You gotta relax," Nestor teasingly whispered and squeezed Victoria's shoulder once more before the cartel assassin straightened his back and headed to the front of the entrance of the private room.

Nestor couldn't help but find it amusing how nervous the Miller woman was obvious being around, his best friend, Miguel as he took his stand as head of security for the Galindo family. Victoria had only been this nervous around him once or twice until they started to get to know one another more, so the cartel assassin found it humorous that Victoria was so nervous when they hang out with one another. It was amusing for the Oceteva man to watch the Miller woman twitch and awkwardly move in her seat from her obvious nerves of being around Miguel.

The private room in the Duende restaurant was silent for a few minutes as everyone got themselves situated in their seats around the large circular table before the blonde Galindo woman was the first one to speak. "Victoria, I would like to introduce you to Cristobal's nanny," Emily began as she looked over at her childhood best friend before she pointed to the brown eyed woman beside her and introduced the aforementioned woman, "this is Maria."

The Miller woman turned her attention onto the quiet nanny that she had noticed when she had walked into the private room as she followed Emily's pale hand before she gave the brown eyed woman a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you," Victoria murmured as she greeted the youngest Galindo's nanny. 

Maria silently and shyly nodded her head once in a bowing and greeting fashion with a small smile playing on her lips as she stared across at the brunette woman. "I've heard so much about you," the Galindo family's nanny commented as she remembered how Emily had been gushing about her old childhood friend all week long. 

Victoria couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise before she asked, "oh, really?" The Miller woman turned her head to the side so her attention was solely on the blonde woman before she inquired with an expression of teasing shining across her face, "have you been spilling my embarrassing childhood moments?"

The Galindo woman playfully rolled her blue eyes before she lightly waved her right hand and uttered with a smile playing on her nude lips, "of course not." Emily lifted a smirk onto her face as she stared across at her childhood best friend before she teasingly added, "if I wanted to embarrass you, I would do with you in the room so I can watch you become a red mess."

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes right back at the blonde woman with a relaxed chuckle before she mumbled in amusement, "same ole Em." The Miller woman felt like no time had left her and Emily as she remembered this teasing and calm aura that used to surround Emily and her during their childhood and their school years through pre-k to senior year. Victoria honestly felt herself relax now that she was joking around with Emily, so she shot the Galindo woman a wide smirk before she teased right back, "but remember, Em, I have just as many embarrassing stories as well that I would love to share."

The Galindo woman let out a loud groan as she did not want to relive any of her embarrassing moments while the Miller woman continued to laugh before the leader of the Galindo cartel spoke up. "I would love to hear about these stories you speak of," Miguel began as he looked across at Victoria before he glanced over at Emily with a smirk and murmured, "especially if they involve embarrassing my wife." 

The Miller woman and the Galindo man shared a small laugh as they watched how red Emily was turning for a few minutes before Miguel turned his attention back onto Victoria. "But before we do that,  you need a drink," Miguel told the pediatric nurse before he pointed at the array of bottles in the center of the circular table and inquired, "so, what will it be? Bourbon? Vodka? Tequila? Scotch? Wine? Water?"

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she glanced at the different types of bottles before she took a quick look at the glass in front of Miguel - where she noticed that he was drinking bourbon. The Miller woman wanted to keep on the cartel leader's good side and she didn't want to give him any ammunition to kill her, so Victoria decided that she would impress Miguel as she requested, "I could go for a glass of bourbon."

The leader of the Galindo cartel let a smirk grace his lips as he told Victoria, "excellent choice." Miguel stood up from his seat and leaned over the table before he grabbed the bottle of bourbon that he had already opened. The Galindo man then poured the amber liquid into a crystal glass before he reached across the table to hand the drink to the Miller woman. 

"I do not know how you guys drink that stuff," Emily mumbled with a disgusted expression on her face as she watched the pediatric nurse take a sip of her alcoholic drink. The Galindo woman picked up her alcohol of choice which happened to be red wine and uttered, "at least wine actually has a flavor," before she took a gulp of her aforementioned sweet drink. 

Miguel let out a small chuckle at his wife before he told her with a grin playing on his lips, "it's an acquired taste, mi amor **[my love]**." The leader of the Galindo cartel then looked over to his guest of the evening before he inquired, "how are you liking the bourbon?" Miguel lifted up his own glass of the amber alcohol as he told Victoria, "it's a '93 Buffalo Trace aged twenty five years."

Victoria's hazel eyes immediately widened when she heard the name of what she was drinking. "Wow, I've heard about this one," the Miller woman commented as she gazed down at the amber liquid before she mentioned, "I read it an article a few months back." Victoria furrowed her brows for a moment as she tried to remember the article before she snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "yes, the article mentioned that one bottle is about ten thousand." The Miller woman shook her head in disbelief at the priciest drink that she has ever had in her life before she complimented towards Miguel with a small smile, "it's very good, thank you."

The Galindo man tipped his head in a nodding fashion as he accepted her praise while he took a sip of his own glass of bourbon before he shot Victoria a wide grin and mused, "ah, a fellow alcohol connoisseur." Miguel gave the brunette woman an impressed look as he could appreciate someone that knows their alcohol before he told the pediatric nurse, "well, I'm glad you are enjoying it. Please, have as much as you like."

Victoria gave the Galindo man a thankful nod and a small smile before the private room grew silent with the married couple and the pediatric nurse looking through their menus and the nanny playing with the small child and a stuffed lion toy. The tranquility continued for a few more minutes before Miguel looked up and between Emily and Victoria as he wondered, "I'm curious about something. How did you and my lovely wife come to meet?"

The Miller and Galindo women immediately glanced over at each other at the question with grins shining across their lips before they both uttered at the exact same time like they used to do as kids, "on the red slide at the park on fifth street." The old best friends couldn't help but share a laugh together before Emily looked over to her amused husband and explained, "it happened when we were about four, I think, and we both wanted to go on the only slide in town by the old elementary school and we just instantly clicked."

Victoria nodded her head in agreement as she remembered that moment when she had met Emily Thomas - now Galindo. It was during a weekend when her brother, Nathan, was gone at his friend's house. Victoria really wanted to play on the big red slide that day but her mother was gone at work on the streets and her father was, thankfully, passed out from his twenty-four pack of cheap beer, so little Victoria had wondered to the park that Nathan always brought her to - where she ultimately met the bubbly blonde that was Emily Thomas.

"It helped that Em over here was a girl," the Miller woman began to tell Miguel with a soft chuckle as she nodded her head towards the blonde woman. "I've only hung out with boys ever since I could walk," Victoria explained to the Galindo man before she paused and changed her sentence, "well, really only Ezekiel. He's always been my best friend since I was in diapers." The brunette nurse turned her hazel gaze over to the blonde woman before she concluded with a playful grin on her face, "so, Emily was definitely a great addition to my life when we were growing up."

A bright smile immediately lit up the blonde Galindo woman's face as soon as she heard the words come from the pediatric nurse that meant the world to her - especially after not talking for years. Emily reached across the table and squeezed Victoria's hand as she gushed, "aw! I felt the exact same way when we were kids." The blonde woman gave the brunette a wide smile before she softly murmured, "you were always my best friend through everything."

The leader of the Galindo cartel silently listened as his wife and the woman who seems to know everyone around Santo Padre talked to one another while he sipped on his bourbon with interest shining throughout his brown eyes. Miguel had always been curious about Victoria ever since he briefly met her at the Mayans clubhouse. He could never understand how a pediatric nurse like her could be mixed in with all of the bikers, so Miguel decided that he would subtly approach the topic of Victoria's connection with the Reyes men since Victoria did bring up the younger one. "Is that why you are involved with the Reyes brothers?" Miguel curiously asked as he stared across at the brunette woman before he continued, "because you were friends when you were kids?"

The Miller woman couldn't help but bite down on her lower lip and she took a shaky and deep breath. Victoria knew that she would get asked about her connection with the Reyes men sooner or later by Miguel as she figured Miguel would want to interrogate her about her life since she was involved with Emily now. The pediatric nurse completely understood, though, but she was still a bit anxious about being interrogated by the dangerous man since that hadn't happened since she was eighteen and she got in trouble by the local Charming police for public intoxication with Juice when they went and tried to get tacos at three in the morning.

Victoria knew that she couldn't avoid the question any longer after she got out of her thoughts when the leader of the Galindo cartel was still staring at her, so the Miller woman quickly downed the rest of her glass of bourbon to gain the confidence that she needed to talk to Miguel before she began her story about the Reyes men. "My parents weren't the best of people throughout my childhood," Victoria muttered as she anxiously played with her fingers while she briefly spoke about the two people that she hated thinking about before Victoria glanced up to Miguel and stated, "I had my older brother but sometimes I would end up playing by myself."

"But one day," the Miller woman continued with her story, "little EZ, who was one at the time, and his mother were taking a walk down the street and that is where EZ noticed me with this bright red firetruck that my brother had gave me and he wanted to have it." Victoria let out a small chuckle as she remembered that moment before she concluded with a soft smile, "anyways, long story short, EZ ended up running up on the front lawn and started pouting about wanting to play with it." Victoria lightly shrugged her shoulders and murmured, "and we've been best friends ever since."

Miguel nodded his head with a carefree smile playing on his lips after he listened to Victoria's story about how she came to be close to the youngest Reyes man. The leader of the Galindo cartel could understand the connection with the pediatric nurse and the Mayans prospect a little better now as he had seen how protective Ezekiel gets when someone mentions Victoria's name - just like the older Reyes. "Is that how you got close to Angel as well?" Miguel inquired as he was even more curious about the relationship between the pediatric nurse and the biker.

It wasn't Victoria that answered Miguel's question, though, as the aforementioned man's wife quickly let out a loud giggle before she exclaimed as she jumped into the conversation, "God, no!" The blonde woman waited until she could get her tipsy giggling under control before she looked over to her husband and told him with a small chuckle as she remembered their childhood together, "Angel and Vic hated each other."

The Galindo man's brown eyes widened slightly when he heard the words leave his wife's mouth. "Really?" Miguel questioned with his brows furrowed once he moved his gaze back onto the pediatric nurse. The leader of the Galindo cartel was quite surprised to hear that the two didn't like each other by how close they seem when he saw Angel with the pediatric nurse and how protective he always gets like his younger brother does. 

Victoria couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle at Miguel's reaction to her and Angel's beginning relationship. It was a reaction that she got quite a lot when someone would ask how she and Angel knew each other since it was way different to their relationship now. "Angel and I were never really close while growing up since he was a few years older than me," Victoria began to explain to the puzzled Miguel before she playfully rolled her hazel eyes and muttered, "he was basically my own personal bully growing up."

Miguel's brows continued to be furrowed as he stared across at the pediatric nurse in confusion as he tried to understand what he had seen at the Mayans clubhouse between the two. "You guys seem very close, though," the Galindo man commented as he remembered how the pediatric nurse and the biker had interacted with one another before Miguel wondered, "what changed from the beginning of your relationship to now?"

The Miller woman bit down on her bottom lip as she remembered the exact reason why she and Angel ended up getting close. It was something that broke her heart every time that she thought about it. "Well, after their mother was killed and EZ went to prison," Victoria began as she mentioned a bad moment in their lives before she stated, "Angel and I ended up leaning on one another for comfort." The brunette woman decided to not mention the whole part where she and Angel started sleeping together while they comforted each other before she uttered with a small shrug, "we ended up growing on one another and we've been close friends ever since."

The Galindo man nodded his head as he hummed to himself while he silently took in the Miller woman's words. It helped Miguel understand the relationship and the connection between Victoria and the Reyes brothers that he had recently been curious about. However, the one question that was still on the leader of the Galindo cartel's mind was how Victoria, a pediatric nurse, could be mixed in with the local motorcycle club. "Is Angel how you got involved with the club?" Miguel questioned as he decided to take his interrogation about his wife's old friend a step further.

"Miguel!" The blonde Galindo woman instantly scolded her husband as soon as she heard his question. Emily shot her husband a slight glare as she recalled their conversation earlier about not mentioning work before she mumbled, "I thought we promised that we would leave business out of dinner tonight."

The Miller woman could feel the tension building between the married couple, so Victoria quickly gave them a small smile and assured the Galindo's as she stated, "no, no, it's okay. Everyone's always curious." Victoria knew that if she didn't answer Miguel's question right now, then it would just come up some time later and Victoria would rather get it out of the way while she still had the courage to do so. The Miller woman took a deep breath before she began her tale about how she got into the Mayans inner circle, "I didn't get involved with the Mayans until two or three years ago."

Victoria poured herself another glass of the high priced bourbon as she tried to gather her thoughts before she focused back onto the curious Miguel and continued with her story, "I was just out of nursing school and was starting my job at the hospital when one of the Mayans got hurt during a run." The Miller woman took a sip of the smooth bourbon before she uttered, "Angel knew that I would be able to help, so he ended up at my place and I helped patch 'em up." Victoria lightly shrugged her shoulders as she commented, "I guess Bishop appreciated the help with his men, so I always end up helping them out when they need me - like you saw when you were at the clubhouse last week."

Miguel nodded his head as he murmured, "ah, that makes sense." The Galindo man recalled exactly what the pediatric nurse was mentioning when he, Nestor, and Marcus had showed up at the Mayans clubhouse. Miguel remembered seeing the large bag and the injured biker when they had stopped by to conduct some business about his missing drugs and had seen the brunette woman that was currently in front of him. 

The table in the private room, unfortunately, grew silent after Miguel's last sentence. Victoria usually wasn't this awkward but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to the leader of the Galindo cartel. The Miller woman didn't want to talk anymore about the Reyes men or the Mayans to give Miguel any ammunition against them, so Victoria decided to stay quiet as she avoided Miguel's brown eyes and continued to sip on her heavenly bourbon as she prayed that Miguel wouldn't ask anymore about the group of important men in her life.

Thankfully, though, the blonde Galindo woman had noticed the awkward tension that took over the private room after a few silent minutes. Emily knew it would happen and that was the reason why she tried to tell Miguel to keep business out of tonight with mentioning the Mayans as she knew it would make Victoria anxious. It was just something Emily knew that would happen - even though that she hadn't been in Victoria's life in years - so the Galindo woman loudly cleared her throat to get everyone's attention before she asked with a simple smile shining on her nude lips to end the awkwardness, "should we order?"

Miguel gave his wife a large smile after he moved his steady brown irises off of the Miller woman before he murmured, "that sounds perfect, mi amor  **[my love]**." The Galindo man then moved his attention back onto Victoria before he politely asked her as if he wasn't just interrogating her, "are you ready to eat?"

The Miller woman gave the married couple an awkward smile after she finally pulled the glass of bourbon from her lips as she still felt anxious about any type of conversation that was to come. Victoria knew that she couldn't show Miguel her fear, though, so the pediatric nurse took a silent deep breath before she murmured with a tight smile, "I'm ready if you guys are."

The leader of the Galindo cartel nodded his head in Victoria's direction before he uttered in agreement, "very well." Miguel then looked over the pediatric nurse's shoulder and towards the door of his private room before he called out to his head of security, "Nestor."

The Oceteva man didn't even have to say anything to Miguel as he already knew what he needed to do. Instead, Nestor opened the door to the private room and briefly looked around the hallway before he noticed the familiar waitress that always waits on the Galindo family. The head of security gave the woman a silent nod towards the private room before he allowed her to enter and closed the door behind them. 

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Galindo," the waitress quickly greeted the married couple as soon as she walked into the private room with a cheery smile on her pink colored lips. The brunette waitress walked up to the circular table and pulled out her small notebook from her black apron before she politely asked, "are we ready to order?"

Miguel nodded his head and uttered as he gave the waitress a slight smile, "yes, we are." The Galindo man then moved his gaze over to the Miller woman and stated, "you are our guest of honor this evening," before he lifted his hand in a waving motion to let Victoria know that she could order her meal first. 

Victoria gave the Galindo man a thankful but slightly nervous smile before she moved her hazel eyes down to the menu that she had read at least one hundred times during the awkward silence. The Miller woman moved her hazel irises over the menu for a moment as she looked for the meal that she had picked out earlier before she looked up at the patient waitress. "I'll have the fideua," Victoria requested as she felt like she could go for some seafood pasta right about now.

The brunette waitress quickly wrote down the order on her notebook as she commented with a small smile, 'excellent choice." The woman then moved her gaze over to the familiar nanny of the Galindo family before she inquired, "and what will you be having this evening, Ms. Maria?"

The nanny of Cristobal Galindo gave the familiar waitress of Duende a polite smile before she looked down at the menu in her hands and read off her order, "I'll take the brocheta de camarones." Maria silently closed her menu before she softly murmured after she ordered her shrimp brochette, "thank you."

The waitress for Duende nodded her head as she wrote down the nanny's order before she lifted her gaze and looked over to the married couple. "And how about you, Mr. and Mrs. Galindo?" The brunette woman inquired before she asked as she knew what the happy couple usually ordered when they would have dinner at the restaurant, "are we going for some tapas tonight?"

"Yes, we are," Miguel uttered to the waitress before he ordered a plate of marinated Spanish olives and a Spanish omelette with mussels that also comes with a side of pork skewers, "we'll take the aceitunas alinadas and the tortilla española y mejillones escabechados." The Galindo man then closed his menu while the waitress wrote down their order before he looked over to his wife and inquired, "is there anything else you would like, mi amor  **[my love]**?"

The blonde Galindo woman bit down on her bottom lip as she looked over the menu for a few seconds before she nodded her head and uttered, "yeah, I think there is." Emily loved trying new things whenever they would come to Oakland for dinner, so the blonde woman looked for an item that she hadn't tried yet before she told the waitress that she wanted the pork rillette plate, "We'll also have the montiditos de manteca colora."

The waitress, once again, nodded her head as she finished writing down the orders before she murmured to the Galindo woman, "of course." The brunette woman looked back up to the circular table once she had placed her notebook back into her apron with a wide smile before she told them, "I'll be out with your food as quickly as possible."

The private room, unfortunately, grew silent once the waitress had taken her leave as soon as she had finished speaking to place their order. Victoria couldn't stand the silence as it was awkward and it was making her even more nervous than she had been all night, so the Miller woman decided to focus on Miguel since she knows barely anything about him - along with the fact to stop him from asking any questions about her relationship with the Reyes men and the Mayans. 

Victoria only knew that Miguel was this big and bad cartel leader from what she had heard from the little bit of information that Angel had told her about, so the Miller woman decided that she would focus on that since she was curious how her old best friend's husband even got involved in all that. "So," Victoria uttered as she interrupted the silence after she cleared her throat before she inquired, "did you always know that you wanted to go into the line of business that you are in?"

The Galindo man let a small smile lift onto the right side of his lips while he was drinking his bourbon as he had been curious when Victoria would come out of her shell and begin to question him about his life. Miguel honestly didn't mind the Miller woman questioning him about his work since he could tell that she was honestly curious along with the fact that she is involved with the Mayans so she would be able to handle it. 

The leader of the Galindo cartel placed his glass down onto the circular table once he had finished a sip of his bourbon before he looked over to Victoria and answered her question as he leaned back in his chair, "well, it was right after high school. My father was in charge of the family business at the time and he sent me to America to learn how to become apart of the business from a fellow associate of his." Miguel placed his arm on the back of Emily's chair and squeezed her bare shoulder before he continued about his past with a wide grin shining across his face, "I ended up staying in the states for a couple of years until I got my degree while I was being taught about the family business - where I met this beautiful woman."

Emily immediately released a lovesick giggle from her lips when her husband mentioned when they met in college and murmured as she stared into Miguel's brown eyes that always made her fall in love all over again with the man beside her, "it was the best thing to ever happen to me," before she pulled her husband into a sweet but short kiss. 

Victoria couldn't help the small smile that rose onto her face as she watched the married couple. The Miller woman could see how happy Miguel makes Emily, despite the fact that she did love EZ and the blonde woman together when they were all in high school, and that made Victoria happy as she could tell that Miguel was the one for Emily by the way a certain glow surrounded the blonde whenever she would talk or when she's around Miguel. 

The Miller woman watched the married couple become lovesick with one another as they smiled and kissed for another minute or so before Victoria decided that she would focus back onto the topic of the leader of the Galindo cartel. Victoria wanted to learn as much as she could about the dangerous man, so Victoria took a sip of her bourbon before she curiously inquired, "did you always know that you were going to follow in your father's footsteps into the family business?"

Miguel focused his attention back onto the Miller woman once he heard her question before he shook his head with a chuckle. "I actually had no interest in joining my father while I was in high school," the Galindo man stated before he glanced over Victoria's shoulder and over to his best friend and head of security. "Nestor and I used to always say we were going to be astronauts when we were kids," Miguel uttered with a smirk playing on his lips before he called out to his best friend, "isn't that right, Nestor?"

The Oceteva man turned his body to the side while he continued to have an eye on the door of the private room and looked over to the Galindo man with his own smirk playing on his lips as he remembered their childhood dream job. Nestor tipped his head in a nodding motion as he murmured with amusement in his voice, "yes, sir."

The leader of the Galindo cartel and the head of security both shared a moment of laughter as they remembered all the moments from their childhood when they thought they would become astronauts before the Galindo woman suddenly exclaimed, "oh, my God!" Emily had all of her attention on the Miller woman as she exclaimed when she suddenly remembered something when she heard about her husband and his best friend's childhood dream job, "that reminds me of the time when we said we were going to be these famous ballerinas that cured sadness with our fabulous dancing skills."

The Miller woman immediately let out a heavy groan before she mumbled as a blush lifted onto her tan cheeks, "oh, don't remind me." The brunette nurse remembered that before she wanted to go into the medical field, she and Emily wanted to be these healing ballerinas. It was such a childish dream that it embarrassed her even just thinking about it. Victoria shook her head with a small chuckle before she voiced her thoughts, "that was such an embarrassing dream of ours when Mr. Ham told us we would never accomplish it." 

Emily rolled her blue eyes at the memory of their first grade teacher's words to them when they wore tutus to class for six months straight before she exclaimed with a shake of her head, "he was such an ass for crushing two seven year old's dreams." The Galindo woman puffed out her chest with her red wine settled in her right hand before she uttered with a look of confidence on her face, "we could have totally been ballerinas."

Victoria couldn't help but let out a loud chuckle at her childhood best friend before she sarcastically uttered, "oh, yeah, totally." The Miller woman shook her head in amusement as she stared across at the confident blonde woman before she continued teasingly, "we would have toured the world curing everyone of their sadness like goddesses."

The Galindo woman looked at the pediatric nurse as if she couldn't believe that Victoria wasn't being serious like she was about their childhood dream job - even though she wasn't actually sincere. "What?" Emily mumbled with her brows playfully furrowed as if she didn't know why everyone was watching her with grins on their faces before she exclaimed with a wide smile spreading across her nude tinted lips, "it could have happened!"

The Miller woman shook her head in amusement at her old best friend's childish behavior before she murmured with a smirk playing across her lips, "whatever you say, Em." Victoria actually found herself relaxing after the words teasingly slipped out of her mouth. It made Victoria feel like no time had passed between her and Emily. It was like that they didn't, in fact, spend years apart from one another. 

The private room was then soon filled with the sound of an enjoyable laughter and a grinning Oceteva man from his security post at the front door after they all had watched as Emily pouted at the Miller woman and the aforementioned nurse playfully stuck out her tongue. It was like that awkward tension from fifteen minutes ago just disappeared after a few memories were shared between the group of adults.

The evening dinner at Duende slowly but surely began to go more smoothly as the night went on between the Galindo couple and the Miller woman after their shared laughter along with the elephant in the room that came in the form of the Galindo cartel. The three adults spent the rest of their night getting to know one another better while they ate their meals and drank their wine and bourbon. They shared bunch of laughs and details about their lives like old friends would before the enjoyable night was suddenly interrupted when a cell phone began to ring throughout the private room. 

Victoria furrowed her brows at the loud sound as she remembered that she had silenced her cell phone when she was still at her house. The Miller woman didn't want to have any interruptions from Angel or Ezekiel, so she had made sure that her cell phone wouldn't be a problem as she knew Angel would just keep on calling until she answered. However, Victoria relaxed her body when she realized that it hadn't been her cell phone when the Galindo man answered his device in a quiet murmur.

Victoria didn't want to be nosy as she figured it had to deal with the Galindo cartel, so the Miller woman just focused on her delicious plate of seafood pasta and her high priced bourbon while Miguel continued to speak into his cell phone. There was only the sound of the Galindo man speaking to someone over his device for a couple of minutes before, finally, Miguel ended the call and placed his cell phone back into the pocket of his black slacks.

The first voice that spoke through the silent private room after the interruption into the dinner happened to be from the wife of the leader of the Galindo cartel. "Is everything alright?" Emily gently inquired with her brows deeply furrowed as she softly laid her hand onto her husband's upper arm. It was very abnormal for a call to happen during dinner, unless it was important, so Emily was concerned to what could have happened.

Miguel gave his wife an assuring smile as he murmured, "of course, mi amor  **[my love]**." The Galindo man placed a soft kiss onto Emily's forehead to ease her obvious worrying before he simply told her, "it was just business." Miguel waited until he was sure that Emily understood that nothing was wrong before he faced the Miller woman. "I'm sorry to cut this lovely evening short, ladies," the leader of the Galindo cartel apologized to both of the women before he continued, "but Marcus has some information that I need to intend to."

Victoria immediately waved her hand and told the Galindo man, "don't worry about it. I completely understand." If there was someone that would understand, it would be the Miller woman with her being a pediatric nurse. It wasn't the same with Miguel but there were times when Victoria had to be paged to the hospital whenever a post-op child needed her since she was one of the only nurses that specializes in pediatric surgery.

Miguel nodded his head and uttered as he was pleased that the Miller woman understood what happens when duty calls, "thank you." The Galindo man then focused his attention solely onto his wife beside him as he lightly placed his warm hand onto Emily's right cheek before he softly promised in a small murmur, "I will make this up to you, mi amor  **[my love]**."

The blonde Galindo woman gave her husband a small smile as that was what Miguel always does whenever he has leave during their time together. It was a common occurrence that she was hundred percent used to, so she didn't exactly mind. However, Emily did love to tease her husband, so the blonde woman widely grinned before she teasingly murmured, "you better."

Miguel shook his head with a small chuckle as he watched the playful side of his wife before he murmured, "I will," and pulled Emily into a small but meaningful kiss. The Galindo man held his wife in that position for a minute or two as he silently apologized for leaving during their dinner before he pulled Emily up with him as he stood up from the circular table to leave for his meeting with Marcus. 

Everyone in the private room each began to prepare to leave Duende once they saw the leader of the Galindo cartel stand up from his seat with Maria gathering little Cristobal's diaper bag, his toys, and his bottle from around the table while Emily gathered her son in her arms. However, Victoria was the awkward one out, though, as she didn't know what she was supposed to do since she only had a clutch purse. The Miller woman settled on gathering the money from her purse to pay for her meal to stop the awkwardness that she could feel by just standing there.

"Put that away," the Galindo man immediately told the Miller woman in his loud voice, which scared the pediatric nurse, when he looked over at Victoria and realized what she was doing. Miguel shot the brunette woman an amused smile as he had seen her jump before he uttered, "you were our guest tonight, so the meal is on me."

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she stared across at the Galindo man. She hated having other people pay for her since she always liked to do something with her hard earned money, but Victoria knew that it would be best to allow Miguel to pay as she knew it would be rude. The Miller woman, finally, nodded her head in agreement to the awaiting Miguel once she came to a conclusion before she promised, "but the next one is on me."

Miguel let out a deep chuckle before a wide smirk lifted onto his lips and he muttered to the brunette woman in agreement, "deal." The Galindo man then placed his hand into the right pocket of his black slacks before he pulled out his wallet. Miguel opened up the piece of Italian leather before he grabbed a couple of hundred dollar bills to cover everyone's meals and drinks.

The group of adults all filed out of the private room and into the busy restaurant once the Galindo man exited with his wife and child by his side. Victoria allowed Maria to walk in front of her with a polite smile on her face before she followed along. The Miller woman glanced around the restaurant as they walked as she didn't really have the time when she had entered since she was so nervous. However, though, while Victoria was looking at a beautiful painting of Spain, her thoughts were soon interrupted when Nestor sped up until he was next to her. 

The Oceteva man loudly cleared his throat through the busy restaurant to gain the Miller woman's attention before he playfully bumped his hip into Victoria's black dress covered one and teasingly uttered, "I told you that you didn't have anything to worry about." Nestor had known that Victoria would be okay tonight with Miguel and he had been right all along as he had noticed when Victoria stopped being so anxious about fifteen minutes into the evening. 

Victoria immediately rolled her hazel eyes at the Oceteva man's teasing with a deep red blush on her cheeks before she mumbled in embarrassment, "oh, shut up." The Miller woman knew that she had been silly to be nervous for a dinner with her childhood best friend and her husband but Victoria knew that she had a reason to be cautious since Miguel is a dangerous man. However, that didn't stop the embarrassment Victoria felt by Nestor's teasing as the night turned out pretty good. 

Nestor let out a heavy chuckle as he watched the brunette woman become annoyed with her beet red cheeks and her tense standing. "Aw," the Oceteva man murmured as he decided to further his teasing before he cooed into the shell of Victoria's ear, "is little Miss Victoria embarrassed that she freaked out for nothing?"

The Miller woman glared over at the man beside her for a moment at his continued teasing but it didn't exactly last that much longer as she couldn't help the small smile that lifted onto her lips. The Oceteva man just made her feel so relaxed and safe that Victoria couldn't stay mad. Instead, she slapped his hard chest and playfully muttered, "you're the worst."

The cartel assassin and the pediatric nurse shared a playful chuckle together as they continued to walk through the busy restaurant with small jabs being thrown at one another before they finally arrived out on the street in front of Duende, where the Galindo family, Maria, and two other men, that Victoria figured were apart of Miguel's security team, were waiting on them. 

The leader of the Galindo cartel turned his attention onto the Miller woman when he noticed her presence standing along the streets of Oakland before he reminded her and his wife, "Nestor and I need to go visit Marcus at the clubhouse." Miguel pointed over to the man with the buzz-cut and goatee before he continued, "but Benson, here, will drive you lovely ladies anywhere you want to go."

Victoria nodded her head in understanding as she had been curious about the driving situation since Nestor did pick her up from her house and she figured the leader of the Galindo cartel would need his head of security for whatever, Marcus, the president of the Oakland charter needed to talk about. 

The Galindo man took a step closer to the Miller woman until he was in front of her before he uttered his farewell for the evening, "it was nice see you again and to get to know you." Miguel glanced over to the blonde woman behind him before he faced Victoria with a smile and continued, "I can see why my wife wanted to arrange this dinner tonight and keep in touch with you after so many years apart."

A small grin lifted onto Victoria's lips at the Galindo man's words before she murmured as she glanced over to Emily, "I'm glad she did, too." The Miller woman then focused back onto Miguel before she also uttered her farewell for the night as she showed her praise, "thank you for the meal. I'm glad we got the chance to do this." 

Miguel nodded his head in agreement before he promised, "we'll set up something soon." The Galindo man then remembered something that he had bought the other day before he told Victoria, "I picked up this perfect bottle of bourbon from Ireland last week. We'll have to have a drink sometime now that I know you know your alcohol." Miguel gave the brunette woman one last smile after he watched Victoria nod her head in agreement before he headed over to his family to say goodbye for the evening.

The Miller woman couldn't help the soft smile that rose onto her lips while she watched Miguel, a dangerous cartel leader, walk over to Emily and Cristobal before he placed a loving kiss onto his son's forehead. It made Victoria remember that there was always two different sides of a person - no matter how dangerous they may seem and after tonight, it made Victoria understand a little bit more of how her childhood best friend ended up with the leader of the Galindo cartel. 

Victoria felt like she was watching a homey and heartfelt movie as she continued to watch the small family that she never really did have all her life before the Miller woman's thoughts were soon interrupted when the Oceteva man stood in her line of sight of the loving family. Nestor waited until the pediatric nurse looked up at him before he spoke in a gentle voice, "shoot me a text when you get home safely." The cartel assassin didn't really like that he wouldn't be the one to drive Victoria home but he knew that he had to be with Miguel for the meeting with the Oakland charter. Nestor trusted Benson, someone he had personally brought into his security team, so he knew Victoria would be in good hands.

The Miller woman nodded her head while she stared up at the taller man as she was used to Nestor asking this of her over the last couple of days that they've been friends. It was something that Angel had always asked her to do when she would, on the off-chance, go home alone so Victoria didn't really mind. "Be careful," the pediatric nurse told Nestor after she agreed to text him. Victoria immediately scolded herself for saying that, though. It was something that she did for Angel like a reflex since she was always worried about the older Reyes whenever he would go on runs. 

Thankfully for the Miller woman, though, the head of security for the Galindo cartel didn't take it the wrong way. Instead, the Oceteva man shot the pediatric nurse an amused smirk before he nodded his head in agreement. Nestor reached across from him and found Victoria's warm hand by her side before he squeezed her small limb as he silently promised to be careful. 

Victoria gave the Oceteva man's hand a small squeeze as she felt his rough fingers graze the back of her hand before she released it when she noticed the leader of the Galindo cartel heading their way. The Miller woman gave Miguel a small smile and a nod before she watched the two equally dangerous men enter Nestor's black Audi and drive off into the night.

"Ladies," an unfamiliar voice spoke up once no one could see the red lights from the car as the Audi turned the corner - which immediately caused Victoria to turn around and realized it was Benson, one of the security guards, who had spoke up. The man with the buzz-cut pointed his arm towards a black SUV that was a few steps away from the restaurant as he told the three women, "if you are ready, we can get going."

Emily nodded her head with a slight smile on her face before she murmured, "thank you, Benson." The blonde Galindo woman looked over to her childhood best friend and nodded her head towards the vehicle before she walked towards the black SUV with her son settled in her arms and the two women following closely behind. 

It was a calm and relaxing feeling in the air as the three women walked towards the black SUV with the surprisingly cool atmosphere in Oakland flowing through the streets during the middle of July. The two security guards that had stayed with the Galindo woman opened up the passenger and backseat doors and stood to the side by the time the women walked up to the vehicle.

The nanny, Maria, placed the diaper bag onto the floorboard in the backseat of the SUV before she turned her attention onto the youngest Galindo with a small smile adoring her face. "Ven acá, principito," **[come here, little prince]** Maria cooed to the small child before she carefully grabbed Cristobal from his mother's arms and began to sing a small tune as she placed the youngest Galindo into his car seat. 

The Miller woman smiled and waited as she watched the Galindo family nanny sing to the young child while she entered the black SUV and buckled Cristobal into his seat. Victoria stood still until she saw Maria get into the black SUV before she went to follow to get into her own seat. However, before Victoria could get into the backseat, the Galindo woman instantly stopped her with a light touch on her lower arm while she asked, "do you want to sit in the front?" Emily let out a small chuckle before she explained, "I know Cristobal can get a little fussy during car rides."

Victoria gave her childhood best friend a small smile before she shook her head and uttered, "oh, I don't mind." The Miller woman looked into the backseat of the black SUV with a grin shining across her lips when she saw the youngest Galindo playing with a small toy before she told Emily, "I would love to spend some more time with the cutie." 

The blonde Galindo woman released a small chuckle as she could see the truth of the words from Victoria's mouth as the Miller woman stared at her son with adoration in her hazel eyes. Emily could see just how much the pediatric nurse loves kids, so the Galindo woman nodded her head and murmured a soft okay before she and Victoria entered their respective seats in the black SUV.

The two security guards spoke for a minute or two after the women and child were secure in the vehicle before Benson climbed into the drivers seat and the other security guard, Jay, headed to the other SUV to speed to the Galindo compound to make sure the house was secure for Mrs. Galindo's arrival. The two security guards gave each other a small nod before Jay headed out back towards Santo Padre with Benson following a few minutes behind.

The black SUV was silent for a few minutes as they drove through the dark night in Oakland in a comfortable atmosphere before the Miller woman turned her attention towards the babbling child beside her. Victoria couldn't help the bright smile that lifted onto her lips when she met the honey brown eyes of Cristobal Galindo. "Hey, there," the pediatric nurse cooed as she let the small child wrap his hand around her point finger when he reached for her. 

Victoria listened to the heavenly sound of the small child giggling before she picked up the stuffed animal that was a lion and waved it in front of Cristobal like the small animal was dancing while she made funny faces at the youngest Galindo. It was like a reflex for Victoria as she always did that for the children at the hospital as it always lifted a smile onto their faces and that was the joy of her whole day - seeing the ill children look and act happy during a bad time in their lives like she wished that she had when she was growing up with an abusive father and an absent mother. 

The black SUV was filled with nothing but the youngest Galindo's heavenly laughter which gained the attention on his mother. Emily turned her body the best that she could in her tight dress and a seat belt until she could see into the backseat before a small grin lifted onto her lips at the sight in front of her. "He likes you," Emily told her childhood best friend as she continued to watch as her son looked at Victoria in amazement and amusement. 

Victoria quickly and briefly shot her hazel eyes to the blonde woman with a small smile before she looked back at the child that wanted her attention. "Well, good thing I like him too," the Miller woman joked to what Emily had said as she could feel herself falling for the innocence and joy that was coming from the youngest Galindo. Victoria shot the small child a grin when he finally released her finger and placed the lion in his lap before she covered her face with her hands. The pediatric nurse could hear Cristobal squirm in his seat before Victoria swiftly lifted her hands and exclaimed, "peek-a-boo!"

The black SUV was silent for only about a few seconds before the small child immediately let out the cutest giggle that anyone had have heard - which immediately caused the three women to laugh at the excitement bubbling from the youngest Galindo. "You are going to have him spoiled rotten for your attention," Emily teased as she shook her head in amusement. The blonde woman watched as her childhood best friend and her son played peek-a-boo for a few more rounds before Emily softly murmured, "I'm glad we did this tonight."

Victoria gave the small child one last smile and placed the stuffed lion between his grabby hands before she turned her attention onto the blonde woman once Cristobal was occupied. The Miller woman gave her childhood best friend a soft smile before she uttered right back in the same gentle tone that Emily had used, "me too."

Emily pushed a portion of her blonde hair behind her ear as she stared across her at childhood best friend. "If I'm being honest," the Galindo woman began with a light blush on her cheeks that, thankfully, no one could see in the dark vehicle before she told Victoria, "I was nervous that you would end up bailing tonight."

Victoria stared over at the blonde woman with her brows slowly beginning to be deeply furrowed. "Why?" The Miller woman curiously wondered as she twitched her head to the side in confusion. 

The Galindo woman let out a small chuckle before she explained, "well, obviously, you know what Miguel does for a living." Emily lightly shrugged her shoulders before she stated, "I was just nervous that it would scare you off." The blonde woman knew that Victoria's involved with the Mayans and the Reyes brothers but Emily had still been nervous for the past couple of days that her cartel husband would be too much for the pediatric nurse to handle.

The Miller woman couldn't help the tiny laugh that escaped through her lips once she realized why Emily had thought that she would bail tonight. "You know I'm tougher than that, Em," the brunette nurse joked while she hid the fact that she been scared out of her mind before and during the most part of their dinner with being in the same room as the leader of the Galindo cartel.

Emily playfully rolled her blue eyes at her childhood best friend before she mumbled, "I know, trust me, I know." The Galindo woman knew first hand how strong and tough that Victoria can be from their younger days. Emily had seen the brunette woman at her lowest point when they were sixteen and everything in between, so she knew exactly how tough Victoria is. The Galindo woman shook her head after a moment as she pushed away the guilt that she felt for her best friend experiencing all those horrible memories before Emily softly uttered, "I'm just happy that we are back into each other's lives."

Victoria gave her childhood best friend a soft smile as she could hear the truthfulness through Emily's voice. The Miller woman reached across the seat and squeezed the blonde's hand that was resting on the middle console before she murmured, "me too. I'm glad we ran into each other last week." Victoria honestly found it a blessing that she and Emily connected back together so quickly. She didn't realize how much that she missed having the blonde in her life until they had coffee last week. It was like having a missing piece back in her chest with having her best friend involved in her life again.

The two childhood best friends grinned across at each other as they both knew what the other was feeling about connecting again before they were soon interrupted when there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. The person that wanted their attention happened to be the security guard as Benson politely asked the women, "did you have anywhere in mind that you ladies would like to go this evening?"

The Galindo woman turned back to her childhood best friend after she heard Benson's question with a bright smile spread across her lips before she inquired with a hopeful tone in her voice, "would you like to come to the house for a nightcap?" Emily didn't wait for Victoria to answer before she quickly added to convince the pediatric nurse to come with her, "Miguel is usually gone for a couple of hours when he has a meeting, so that'll give us some more time to catch up and I'm sure Nestor can drive you home when they get back."

Victoria couldn't help the small smile that pulled onto her lips as she realized Emily was still the same person that she grew up with as the blonde used to always babble when she wanted something - like she was currently doing. The Miller woman didn't really have to think about the question, though, before she was nodding her head in agreement since she didn't have anything waiting for her at home with Angel busy with the club. "I'd love to," Victoria told the grinning blonde before she spoke to the security guard, "the Galindo's house it is, Benson."

The security guard nodded his head once while he kept his eyes on the dark road before he murmured as he headed towards the Galindo compound, "yes, ma'am."

The black SUV was soon overcome with excitement coming from Emily once she knew her childhood best friend was coming to her house so they could talk more as the blonde felt like that they barely had any time to talk with just them along with the sound of Victoria chuckling at the excited blonde and the youngest Galindo giggling from all of the happy noises surrounding him. 

The vehicle was filled with a sense of tranquility as the two best friends began to talk about which movie that they would watch with a glass of wine once they reached the Galindo compound while they rode through the desert roads and tall mountains as they arrived in Santo Padre. However, while the two women talked like they never lost touch, no one noticed the incoming car heading towards them when they were passing a supposedly empty intersection before it was all too late.

Victoria only remembered talking to the Galindo woman about a bottle of red wine from Italy before her whole world was literally thrown upside down when the black SUV began to flip over and over again. The Miller woman immediately pushed away all the nerves that she was feeling while the car flipped as she had the need to help. Victoria was scared out of her mind while the car continued to flip but that didn't stop her from quickly taking her seat belt off and hurriedly shielding Cristobal with her body as she tried to protect him as best as she could while he cried into her chest.

The Miller woman hadn't even noticed that her body began to absorb pain until the black SUV finally came to a stop with the vehicle settled upside down. The position made the pain come in strong motions that Victoria could barely handle it. The brunette woman took a strangled deep breath once her vision wasn't as blurry before she sluggishly lifted her head to check on the youngest Galindo in her arms. 

The pediatric nurse couldn't help but release a sigh - which hurt whichever part of her body that was injured - when she saw there wasn't even a scratch of Cristobal. Victoria was silently praising the Gods for protecting the innocent child before panic immediately pushed through her veins. The Miller woman could only feel this intense pain swallowing her body before Victoria's whole world slowly turned dark, no matter how hard that she tried to fight it, as her eye lids closed for the last time. 


	10. The Rebels

It was ten minutes after the Miller woman's eyes had closed and she had passed out from the pain that Victoria had finally woken back up with a loud and throaty groan. It took a few seconds for Victoria to actually see through her hazy gaze to realize that the black SUV was completely upside down. Victoria tried to not panic at the situation that she was in as she tried to remember what exactly happened. 

Victoria closed her hazel eyes as she slowly connected the pieces together of someone hitting the side of the black SUV before she remembered everything going dark. However, one memory immediately caused the Miller woman to open her eyes and quickly look around for the small child that she had been holding onto. 

The pediatric nurse released a thankful sigh when she saw and finally heard the youngest Galindo crying in his car seat without a single scratch on him. Victoria hadn't even realized her hearing had momentarily went out until she heard Cristobal's crying along with Emily, somewhere, calling out for her son. 

Victoria wanted to comfort her old friend and get the child to somewhere safe instead of practically hanging upside down from his car seat, so the Miller woman began to move towards the child. However, though, when Victoria sat herself up, she could feel that she had a couple of broken ribs at the intense pain that she felt when she moved. The pediatric nurse released a loud groan as she continued to move through her pain until she was sitting in front of Cristobal.

"Hey, there," Victoria softly whispered in a cracked and dry voice before she cooed to calm the crying child, "it's okay, sweetheart." The Miller woman moved her arms to get the child out of the car seat but immediately paused when she felt more pain. Victoria instantly realized it was coming from her right arm when she moved her limbs again to see what was the problem. 

Victoria knew it was going to hurt but she used her left arm and prodded her right one to see what was hurting. The pediatric nurse immediately held in her cry when she felt that something was wrong with her midshaft humerus.  _Most likely a fracture,_ Victoria thought to herself as she lightly touched her upper arm by her elbow. 

Victoria knew that there was no way she could fix it right now in the middle of the desert, so the Miller woman took a shaky deep breath before she focused back onto the youngest Galindo. The brunette woman's main focus was getting Cristobal out of the upside down car right now. Victoria briefly thought about how she was supposed to help the child with one arm before she nodded her head when she came up with a plan.

"Alright, little one," Victoria mumbled to the child before she told him, "we're going dancing for a sec." The Miller woman then lifted herself on her knees and with her left hand she unbuckled Cristobal's car seat before she carefully maneuvered the young child through his seat belt and quickly brought him into her chest with her uninjured arm. 

Victoria immediately released a sigh when the small child was in the safety of arms as she had been afraid Cristobal would have slipped out of the car seat. "I got you, sweetheart," the Miller woman cooed as she carefully rocked him back and forth to calm him down from his crying. Once Victoria noticed the child's crying had came to a stop, she slowly crawled through the upside down car until she reached the backseat door that was broken off.

The Miller woman paused at the entrance of the door as she took a shaky deep breath from all of the pain that she was feeling. Victoria closed her hazel eyes as she held Cristobal to her chest while she tried to breathe through her broken ribs and tried to not move her right arm too much. However, Victoria knew it wasn't safe in the car, so she ignored the tears in her eyes and continued to crawl through the upside down car while she continued to assure Cristobal with her soft but shaky voice, "everything's going to be okay, little one."

It took a couple of minutes before Victoria was finally outside in the dark desert as it took her awhile to move with her broken limbs while she held the small child. The Miller woman immediately released a sigh when she leaned her back against the black SUV before she looked down at Cristobal with a tearful smile. "I told you everything would be okay," Victoria whispered to the small child before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself for her next step.

Victoria wrapped her good left arm tightly around the youngest Galindo's body before she used her shoulder to push herself up from the ground. The Miller woman felt nothing but pain as she lifted herself from her knees but Victoria knew it needed to be done as she listened as her old friend continued to cry out for her son. 

Victoria took a shaky breath after her bare feet were planted on the hot dirt of the desert before she squinted her hazel eyes and tried to see through the dark with the help of the headlights of a car - _probably the one that hit us_ , Victoria thought. It took a few minutes for Victoria to finally see through her hazy gaze before she spotted Benson, one of the members of Nestor's security team, bending down in front of a crying Emily as he tried to check if she had an injuries. 

_I'm almost there,_ Victoria reminded herself as she slowly breathed through the pain of her body before she took cautious steps towards the blonde woman to assure Emily that her son was okay. Victoria was practically dragging her feet as she made her way towards her old friend - which felt like it was miles away. "Em," the Miller woman called out in a scratchy voice when she was about half way to the blonde woman, "I got him, Em."

The Galindo woman immediately looked up from her bloody hands from the broken windshield when she heard the Miller woman's voice before she released a loud gasp when she saw her son. "Oh, thank God," Emily mumbled before she sluggishly stood up from the dirty desert and rushed to her son. "My baby," the Galindo woman cried out once she was standing in front of Victoria before she shakily took her son and hugged him tightly into her chest.

Victoria couldn't help but release a heavy sigh once the child wasn't in her left arm anymore as the extra weight had caused an even worse strain to her broken ribs and right arm. The Miller woman briefly closed her hazel eyes as she tried to get used to the pain while she took a deep breath before she opened her eyes back up and wiped the tears that she had forgotten about with her uninjured arm. 

Victoria slowly gazed around the desert once she could finally see with the tears out of the way and her spotting vision was clearing up. The brunette woman watched Emily holding her son as she continued to cry before she spotted Benson comforting a crying Maria on the ground of the desert. Victoria couldn't help but to be extremely confused to what exactly happened as she glanced at the people around her and the overturned SUV. 

There was this bad feeling in Victoria's chest that said this wasn't just a normal car accident, so the Miller woman slowly circled around as she tried to piece everything together. However, Victoria immediately froze when her hazel eyes locked on three people - two men and a young child - exiting out of their car and heading straight towards them with creepy masks covering their faces. 

"Benson!" The Miller woman hurriedly called out when she came to the conclusion that this wasn't in fact a normal car accident. Victoria knew it had to be a hit on the family of the Galindo cartel. It was the only thing to make sense to Victoria in her hazy brain. The brunette woman knew that she wouldn't be that much help since her handgun was in her clutch purse, so Victoria quickly headed over to Emily and Cristobal to protect them as best as she could.

Victoria placed her body in front of the kneeling mother and son to block them from the three masked people while Benson stood a couple of steps in front of her. "No tienes negocios aquí,"  **[you have no business here]** the security guard growled out as he prepared to protect the Galindo family with his life. 

The three new comers, the rebels, didn't say anything as they slowly continued to walk towards the group of people with only one plan in mind to really hurt Miguel Galindo. The oldest of the three, a man with long wavy black hair, twitched his head to the side before he commanded, "danos el niño,"  **[give us the child]** as he held out his arms.

The blonde woman of Emily Galindo immediately cried out from behind Victoria's back when she heard what the man had said. "No, please," Emily begged as she held her son tightly into her chest. "I'll give you whatever you want just not my son!" Emily yelled out as she tried to compromise with the man who wasn't going to take the bate.

"Ve ahora y podemos olvidar que esto sucedió,"  **[Go now and we can forget that this happened]** Benson told the three masked people as he slowly brought his right hand to the back of his black slacks to reach his handgun. Benson didn't want to bring violence in front of Miguel's son but he knew he would have to if he was going to bring Miguel his family home. 

However, though, before Benson could grab his handgun and scare the masked figures, the second male of the group, a short man with a buzz cut under his mask, swiftly drew out his own gun before Benson could even place his finger on the trigger and fired off a shot to the security guard's kneecap. 

There was instantly the sound of Emily and Maria crying out when they heard the shot while the Miller woman tried to stay strong as she watched Benson drop to the ground and grab onto his right knee in pain. Victoria honestly felt overwhelmed now that she was the only thing standing in the way of the kidnappers and the youngest Galindo. The brunette woman didn't know what she was supposed to do when one of the masked men kicked away Benson's gun across the desert, so she couldn't use it to protect them all.

Victoria knew that she couldn't just stand there and do nothing, so her mind immediately went back to her childhood days in Charming, where she would pick a fight with any croweater and any man that looked at her the wrong way. The brunette woman stood up straight in her classy black dress and bare feet with her fists hanging lowly by her side. "Sal de aquí,"  **[get out of here]** Victoria simply commanded as she prayed that they could make it out of here alive.

However, when the three masked figures only stood directly in front of her, Victoria took a deep breath before she mumbled under her breath towards her old friend, "run." The Miller woman waited until she heard the rustling of Emily standing up from the dirty ground before she offered a distraction as she threw a punch to the biggest guy - which immediately caused him to double over.

_I still got it,_ Victoria thought with a small shrug of her shoulders when she watched the man go down. The Miller woman then turned her attention onto the shorter man to distract him as well as she prayed Emily was at least a few yards away from here. However, when Victoria locked her eyes with the shorter man, she was surprised when he threw his own fist at her face. 

Victoria immediately released a loud groan as she felt the man's knuckles basically push against her left eye socket. The Miller woman had stumbled back a few feet but she didn't go down like she never went down when she would get into fights as a teenager with Jax, Opie, and her brother, Nathan. Victoria, instead, blinked away her tears and pain before she looked back up at the shorter man. The brunette woman went to take her own punch like she did with the other man but was, once again, stopped when the shorter masked man threw a punch to her stomach.

The punch instantly placed Victoria on her back as she felt the masked man hit right against her broken ribs. The Miller woman let out a loud cry as she sobbed out in pain. Victoria didn't really know how bad her injuries were, but now that she was on the ground and felt the hit, she knew it was bad when she couldn't even pull herself up from the ground.

Victoria felt helpless as she watched as the young child in the mask and the one that had punched her walk around her and made their way towards the sluggishly jogging Emily and her son. Victoria knew she had to do something, so she pushed herself slowly onto her knees to stand up. However, Victoria was, once again, stopped when the more dangerous masked men with the gun walked closer to her and pushed against Victoria's broken arm - which caused Victoria to fall back to the ground as she tried to get away from the pressure on her arm.

The long haired male knew this woman would cause issues for the rebels if she were to fight back again, so the masked man placed his boot against Victoria's chest before he slammed her body down onto the dirty desert. However, the man rolled his dark eyes when he saw Victoria trying to crawl towards the security guard.

The masked man was beginning to become frustrated with the woman and her goal in protecting the Galindo family, so he stopped her chance of helping the small child and the blonde woman as he lifted his gun and aimed at the security guard, who was reaching for the brunette woman. "Nadie te puede ayudar,"  **[nobody can help you]** the masked man muttered before he pulled the trigger and shot Benson right in his head - instantly killing him. 

The Miller woman couldn't help but cry out in defeat when she watched Benson's bloody head bounce off of the floor of the dark desert as her only chance of protecting Emily and Cristobal was suddenly dead. Victoria knew that she couldn't give up yet, though, when she was still breathing. _If I'm still breathing, I'm still fighting_ , Victoria reminded herself as she remembered Clay taught her that lesson when she was getting her ass kicked with her whole face bloody and bruised when she wanted to give up.

Victoria still had to make sure Emily and Cristobal were safe, so the brunette woman took a shaky and painful deep breath through her cracked ribs before she slowly brought her body up in a sitting position. The Miller woman ignored her tears as she glared up at the man in front of her before she threw out her leg as hard as she could to knock him off balance. 

Victoria's bare feet didn't really do much damage like her heels would have done but it did cause the taller man to stumble back a few steps. The Miller woman used that opportunity to push herself up onto her knees before she slowly popped back up onto her feet. Victoria took a painful deep breath before she threw the hardest punch that she could with her left hand. 

However, Victoria's mind was still foggy from the concussion that she probably had, so the brunette woman didn't see the right hook heading towards her stomach before she could even finish her solid punch. The Miller woman barely even had time to bend over in pain before the now angry man threw an elbow to her back - which instantly caused Victoria to drop down onto her knees.

The long haired man was beyond pissed that this regular-looking woman was fighting back so much. The rebels didn't need that when this was supposed to be only a ten minute job, so he knew that he needed to put her down. The masked man didn't give Victoria any time to recover from the hits her body was taking before he slammed his right boot against her ribs with all the power that he had. The man watched as the brunette woman rolled herself into a ball before he offered two more kicks to her side. The rebel then bent down until he was eye level with the crying woman before he threw another punch to her face and whispered, "quédate abajo."  **[stay down]**

Victoria felt like she was practically on the brink of death as she watched her attacker walk towards his fellow mask-wearing friends with her face pressed into the desert. The Miller woman honestly didn't know if she was already dead or not as her body didn't hurt anymore. It was like a dull and numb pain and Victoria knew she should be hurting from everything her body took. However, Victoria couldn't think about the issues with her body when she heard her old friend cry out as the three masked figures stood over her. 

Victoria couldn't just not do anything when her friend's son was in danger, so the brunette woman ignored the tears in her eyes before she pushed herself onto her knees and used her one good arm to crawl towards the group of kidnappers and the Galindo family. It took quite awhile, though, since Victoria had to stop a few times when she felt her breath leave her body or her right arm wouldn't work correctly or she became too dizzy. 

The Miller woman had just arrived at the upside down black SUV when she heard Emily curse at the masked figures before she watched the kidnappers quickly jog towards the old station wagon that they had. Victoria heavily sighed in defeat when she realized that she was too late. The brunette woman threw her head back against the black SUV while she watched the man that had attacked her start up the vehicle.

Victoria felt like she couldn't watch Cristobal be ripped from his family, so she turned her hazel eyes down to the desert ground. However, the brunette woman's heart began to pound in her chest when she noticed her black clutch purse lying beside her. Victoria knew this was her chance, so she quickly grabbed her purse before she pulled out her handgun just as the station wagon began to pull away.

The injured brunette woman quickly pushed herself up onto her knees and aimed with her sleek weapon. Victoria didn't want to accidentally hit Cristobal, so she took aim at the tires on the left side of the station wagon before she swiftly fired off as many shots as she could while the car sped out of the desert. 

Victoria's exhausted body immediately fell over after about two minutes when she realized that the clip was empty and the station wagon had escaped. The Miller woman heaved out a sigh of defeat when she could only hear Emily and Maria crying in separate places in the desert. Victoria felt her heart break at the sound of her old friend crying for her son. She wished that she could have done more but she knew this was bigger than her, so Victoria pulled out her cell phone from her clutch purse and dialed Nestor's number.

Victoria slumped her head back against the upside down black SUV as she listened to the ringing tone with her hazel eyes squeezed shut before she finally heard the sound of someone breathing through the device. "Nestor," the Miller woman called out in a scratchy voice before she begged in a voice that was filled with tears, "w-we need help."

The man on the other line, Nestor, was confused and instantly worried when he heard Victoria's voice. It wasn't abnormal for them to talk over the phone but the strong emotions that the Oceteva man could hear was what was worrying him since Victoria is always so strong and never shows any fear. Nestor didn't like the sound that was coming from Victoria, so he immediately tried to calm her down as he softly told her, "hey, hey. Take a deep breath." 

Nestor patiently waited for the brunette woman to do what he said while he glanced over to Miguel, who was looking at him in confusion, with a light shrug of his shoulders as he didn't really understand what was going on himself. The Oceteva man silently nodded his head when he heard Victoria take a shaky deep breath before he gently asked, "now, where are you?"

Victoria slowly opened up her hazel eyes as her body was slowly beginning to shut down before she sluggishly glanced around her for any road sign or billboard. However, the brunette woman, sadly, couldn't find any sort of indication to where she was. Victoria honestly haven't been around Oakland that many times so she didn't know where she was like she would if they were in Santo Padre.

"I-I don't know," the Miller woman finally relayed to Nestor after a few minutes of helplessly looking around. Victoria leaned her head back onto the flipped over SUV with an exhausted sigh before she hurriedly told the Oceteva man in a shaky voice as she prayed that he could find them, "we were on our way to Miguel's and t-then this car hit us at an intersection and w-we ended up in the desert."

Nestor silently nodded his head as he swiftly turned his Audi around to head in the opposite direction that he and Miguel were heading towards. "I know where you are," the Oceteva man assured the brunette nurse as he sped down the highway. "We're only a few minutes away, so we'll be there soon," Nestor told the Miller woman before he softly murmured, "you just need to keep taking deep breaths, alright?"

Victoria slowly nodded her head in agreement before she swiftly let out a groan when the movement caused her head to ache. The brunette woman took a moment for a vision to clear before she mumbled, "I will." Victoria then sluggishly ended the call with the Oceteva man, who had tried to ask if she was okay, before she let her hand fall limp on the desert ground. 

The Miller woman let out an exhausted sigh as she slowly closed her hazel eyes and tried to relax herself by taking deep breath like she told Nestor that she would. However, the deep breaths didn't really help with her ribs now that she was feeling the pain again, so she tried to stay as still as she could. The quietness - expect for Emily and Maria's crying, though, didn't exactly help keep herself relaxed as her mind was running a mile a minute. 

Victoria felt this large amount of pain that wasn't just from her injuries but over the missing child. The Miller woman felt guilty that she couldn't do more for Cristobal when she had been the only thing between the masked figures and the small child. Victoria wished that she had been faster and stronger or she could have saved him and protected him.

Victoria let out a sigh as she knew that she couldn't think too much about what happened with the youngest Galindo when she couldn't do anything to change what happened. The brunette woman just made a mental note that she would help in every way that she could in helping find Cristobal. 

The Miller woman slowly opened her hazel eyes as she tried to distract herself from the pain that she was feeling - physical and emotional - but immediately froze when she spotted Benson's body. Victoria had forgotten through everything that happened about how the masked man had shot and killed the security guard. The Miller woman tried to tear her eyes away from the dead body but she just couldn't.

It wasn't the first dead body that Victoria had ever seen since she watched her brother kill their father's associate when she was a young teenager along with her time with the Sons of Anarchy club. However, this one was affecting Victoria a lot when it could have been her on the ground with a bullet through her head. Victoria had known of the possibility of her life ending when she was fighting two men - one with a gun - but it was just now settling into Victoria's mind that it could of been her in Benson's place. 

Thankfully, though, before the Miller woman could get too lost in her thoughts over the kidnapped child and the dead body in front of her along with the crying women surrounding her, the familiar Audi swiftly pulled through the desert and right next to the upside down black SUV. Victoria knew it was Nestor, so she tried to stand up with the help of the ruined car behind her but she could barely move without an ounce of pain entering her body. Victoria was too exhausted to fight the pain, so the brunette woman kept her body against the car as she waited for the help to arrive.

It only took about a minute and a half after the Audi had pulled into the desert before Victoria watched as Miguel hurriedly jogged up to his wife and Nestor made his way towards her. The Miller woman glanced up when she saw Nestor's black shoes stop in front of her before she mumbled a quiet, "hey."

The Oceteva man squatted down in front of the brunette nurse before he murmured back, "hey, yourself." Nestor then slowly gazed at the Miller woman's body before he noticed the purple bruises forming all over the nurse's skin. Nestor could tell that Victoria was probably in some sort of pain, so he wondered, "do you need help getting up?" 

Victoria looked over the Oceteva man's shoulder as she avoided looking into Nestor's brown irises before she silently nodded her head and quietly mumbled, "yeah." The Miller woman couldn't find it in herself to look Nestor in the eye as she felt ashamed that she needed help like some weak little girl. Victoria knew that she basically went through hell and should feel weak right now but Victoria couldn't show that side of herself again like she did during her childhood. Instead, Victoria held in her tears and ignored the pain as best as she could until she could release them once she was alone. 

Nestor gave the brunette woman a gentle smile before he grabbed ahold of her left hand as he had noticed how Victoria was holding her right one to her chest. The Oceteva man looked into Victoria's hazel eyes until she gave him a small nod before he carefully helped her up from the desert ground. Nestor then softly placed his hands onto Victoria's waist so she wouldn't fall back before he stared into her hazel eyes and wondered with his brows furrowed, "what happened tonight?"

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to control her emotions while she could hear the painful sounds of her old friend crying into her husband's chest. However, the Miller woman couldn't exactly stop the tears from falling down her face like she would have liked. It was like she had no control of her body anymore from her painful injures and from not being able to help Cristobal.

The brunette woman couldn't even control the shake of her upper body before she tightly gripped the tense Oceteva man's upper arm in a vice hold. Victoria knew that she was basically falling apart already, so she didn't try to hide it any longer. Instead, the Miller woman took a shaky deep breath before she whispered with guilt in her voice, "I-I couldn't save him. I-I couldn't help him."

Nestor wasn't exactly a fan of emotional women but he decided he could be for Victoria as he pulled her tightly into his chest. "Hey, it's alright," the Oceteva man cooed as he ran his fingers through her brunette hair. "You don't have to worry. I'm going to handle this," Nestor softly assured the pediatric nurse as he could put together what exactly happened here tonight by the missing Galindo child and the emotional Emily.

The cartel assassin continued to hold Victoria in his arms as he let her cry on his shoulder for a few minutes before he noticed how Victoria tensed when he squeezed her waist. Nestor slowly pulled back while he continued to hold onto Victoria's waist before he scanned her body. The Oceteva man could now notice since they were so close together that something was definitely injured by the way Victoria's right arm was held and how Victoria was basically bent over to not put any strain on her stomach. 

Nestor didn't like that the Miller woman was in pain, so he pulled her back into his chest as he held up her weight before he turned his gaze over to the saddened Galindo couple. "We need to get them out of here," the Oceteva man called out to Miguel before he promised, "I'll send some guys out here to see if they find any leads."

Miguel wrapped his right arm around his wife's shoulder and pulled her tightly into his chest as Emily continued to cry for their missing son before the Galindo man faced his best friend. "I want everyone we have out here looking for mi hijo," the leader of the Galindo cartel ordered with a fierceness shining through his dark eyes as he didn't plan on stopping until his son was found - no matter who's life was caught in the cross hairs. 

"I'll get on it," Nestor told his childhood best friend with a small nod of his head before he watched as the fierce Miguel walked his emotional wife to the black Audi. The Oceteva man waited until the Galindo couple were seated in the backseat before he swiftly pulled his cell phone from the pocket of his black slacks while he still had one arm wrapped around Victoria's waist to make sure that she didn't fall over.

The head of security for the Galindo cartel shot the members of his team a text message which contained information on the location and the missing Galindo prince along with the fact that this was number one priority for everyone before Nestor slipped his cell phone into his pocket. The Oceteva man then focused back onto Victoria as he stared into her hazel irises before he asked since he knew she wasn't one hundred percent okay, "can you make it to the car or do you need help?"

The Miller woman immediately shook her head - which made her headache even worse - as she didn't want to feel more weak than she already was from crying in front of Nestor. Instead, Victoria shakily pointed her one good hand over to the missing Galindo child's nanny, who was slowly trying to stand up from the ground, before she commanded in an exhausted mumble, "help Maria."

Nestor silently shook his head in amusement at the stubborn woman before he told her in a soft whisper, "you don't have to be strong all the time." The Oceteva man then slowly slid his hand down the length of Victoria's good arm before he gave her left hand a slight squeeze. "Just stay here," Nestor ordered as he stared into Victoria's hazel eyes before he promised, "I'll be back and I'll help you."

The head of security for the Galindo cartel waited until Victoria nodded her head in agreement before he cautiously leaned the brunette woman's body against the upside down SUV so she wouldn't end up falling down. Once Nestor was sure that Victoria could hold her own balance, he quickly jogged over to Maria, was now fulling standing, and lightly grabbed ahold of her upper arm.

Nestor had quickly did a scan of the Galindo nanny's body to check for injures like he had done with Victoria. However, when the Oceteva man couldn't find a single mark of Maria, he walked the woman towards his black vehicle. Nestor opened the backseat for the nanny before he helped her into his Audi beside the Galindo couple. 

The Oceteva man waited until Maria was settled beside Emily before he closed the backdoor of his car and swiftly jogged back towards the now swaying pediatric nurse. "I got you," Nestor murmured as he wrapped his arm around Victoria's waist. The cartel assassin gazed down at the Miller woman's face for a moment to make sure that she wasn't going to pass out on him before he readjusted his arm around her waist and mumbled, "come on," as he began to walk back towards his car. 

It took a few minutes of the pediatric nurse and the cartel assassin walking through the desert before they finally reached the black Audi since Victoria had to stop when the pain became too much for her. Nestor unwrapped one arm from Victoria's waist as he opened the passenger door before he slowly lowered the brunette woman into the leather seat. The Oceteva man then leaned over Victoria's body and helped buckle her in before he pulled away and stared at the brunette woman. "You good?" Nestor inquired with his brows furrowed as he was afraid that she was in pain right now.

Victoria bit down on her bottom lip for a minute or two as she gazed up to the Oceteva man's brown irises before she slowly nodded her head. "Fine," the Miller woman swiftly squeezed through her lips before she immediately closed them as she tried to hold in the cry that she really needed to release from the pain that she was feeling all over her body.

Nestor continued to stare into Victoria's hazel eyes for a moment more as he made sure that she was okay before he carefully closed the passenger door and quickly rounded the car. The Oceteva man entered the black Audi before he took a quick glance at everyone in the vehicle with a silent sigh. Nestor knew the night was only beginning, so he swiftly pulled out of the desert and headed back towards Santo Padre with the plan to do whatever he could to find the Galindo prince.

Victoria slowly leaned her body against the cool window in the sleek Audi with a heavy sigh escaping her exhausted body as they headed back home to Santo Padre. The Miller woman was just so tired - mentally and physically. Victoria honestly didn't know how she got herself in this situation again. Victoria had tried her best to stay out of problems that didn't involve her. She had been clean for years after getting in trouble with the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club but here she was again - getting in the middle of something that didn't involve her. It was like trouble just kept on finding her when she just wanted to take care of her family - the Reyes men - and work as a normal pediatric nurse. 

However, just like every other time, Victoria didn't plan on backing out like she didn't when her Godson was kidnapped and she had found herself in Belfast. Victoria barely knew her old best friend again but Victoria wasn't going to stand back. That was never her forte. The Miller woman felt guilty that she couldn't save Cristobal in time, so she made a promise as she closed her hazel eyes that she was going to help as best as she could to bring the Galindo prince home.

The Miller woman was so lost in her thoughts about the past and the present that she didn't realize that they had arrived back in Santo Padre until they pulled in front of a compound-like house. Victoria furrowed her brows in confusion before she glanced to the clock by the radio and noticed it had already been twenty minutes since they had left the desert. The brunette woman shook her head as she didn't know how she had lost track of time like that.  _It's probably the concussion,_ Victoria reminded herself as she watched as Miguel helped Emily towards the house with Maria slowly trailing behind them. 

Victoria released a heavy sigh once she watched the trio walk into the home as she knew it was time for her to get out of the car as well. The Miller woman was dreading the pain but she knew that she couldn't stay in the car all night - no matter how comfortable it was. Victoria took a deep breath as she prepared herself before she carefully unbuckled the seat belt and slowly pushed open the passenger door. However, though, when Victoria moved her body to exit the vehicle, she could only let out a painful moan from the movement of her ribs.  

"Hey, careful," the Oceteva man quickly told Victoria from the drivers seat, where he had been carefully watching the brunette's movements, before he swiftly exited out of the black Audi and rounded the vehicle. Nestor placed himself between the opened passenger door before he leaned his body down so he was level with the Miller woman's hazel irises. The cartel assassin could tell that Victoria was hurting by the way her face was scrunched up, so he asked to see if it was serious, "do you think you broke something?"

The injured Miller woman slowly nodded her head with her hazel eyes tightly closed as Victoria tried to relax her body to get used to the pain but it wasn't exactly working. Victoria sat there with her eyes closed for a couple of minutes until the pain was bearable again before she slowly gazed into Nestor's brown irises. "It's my ribs and my right arm," the pediatric nurse mumbled before she added from her experience in ortho rotations during nursing school, "they're fractured."

"Alright," Nestor mumbled, mostly to himself, as he inspected the Miller woman's body after he knew what was going on. The Oceteva man knew what he needed to do and that first started with getting the injured woman out of the car, so Nestor leaned into the black Audi and carefully wrapped his arm around Victoria's midsection before he cautiously helped her stand onto the pavement outside of the Galindo compound. 

"You good?" The Oceteva man inquired as he looked down into Victoria's hazel eyes once they were both standing on their two feet outside of the sleek black Audi.

Victoria had her good fist clinched in the Oceteva man's button down shirt the entire time that he was helping her out of the vehicle. The Miller woman wanted to cry out the whole time that he was helping her but Victoria didn't need anyone worrying about her, so she only nodded her head in silence.  

Nestor scanned down the Miller woman's face as he could tell that she was lying. However, he didn't mention it as he knew, from the short amount of time that he and Victoria had gotten to know one another, that she was very stubborn. Instead, Nestor switched his position so he had his right arm around holding tightly onto Victoria's hip before he slowly led her into the Galindo compound. 

"Come on, this way," the Oceteva man told Victoria as he steered them towards a long hallway to the left of the front door. Nestor helped the injured woman walk down the hallway until they reached the second to last door on the right side before he pushed one of the two wooden doors open. The Oceteva man then walked Victoria over to the long table that was settled in the middle of the conference-like room before he placed his hands onto her hips and lifted the injured woman up onto the table.

Nestor figured this way he would be able to reach the Miller woman's injures better instead of having to bend over a chair to reach her ribs and arm. The Oceteva man made sure that Victoria was as comfortable as she could get on the table before he swiftly turned around and headed towards a cabinet in the back of the room. Nestor opened the cabinet and grabbed a white medical kit before he went straight back to the large table to deal with the pediatric nurse's injuries.

The Oceteva man placed the medical kit onto the table and opened it up before he began to grab a few things that he would need to patch up the brunette woman's arm and ribs. Nestor was currently making sure that the medical wrap wound work for the broken bones of the Miller woman as he aimlessly told Victoria like it was the most normal thing in the world, "take off the top of your dress."

Victoria's hazel irises immediately widened when she heard the Oceteva man's command along with a slight blush as she wasn't expecting that to come out of Nestor's mouth. However, the Miller woman turned embarrassed after a moment when her hazy mind realized that it wasn't sexual or anything. It was just to help her. "At least take me to dinner first," Victoria jokingly mumbled as she hid the embarrassment that she had just felt. 

Nestor shook his head in amusement along with letting a quiet chuckle escape his lips while he continued to prepare the medical materials for the injured woman. The Oceteva man stopped for a moment, though, as he looked down into Victoria's hazel irises before he teased, "well, at least your humor isn't injured."

The Miller woman playfully rolled her hazel eyes at the Oceteva man before she sarcastically uttered, "ha ha." Victoria couldn't help but smile, though, as the small joke got her out of her tense mood after everything that happened at the desert. It was like Victoria could finally breathe again. 

Victoria knew that she really did need to take off the top part of her dress, despite her embarrassment, so the injured woman listened to the Oceteva man as she slowly and sluggishly pulled her left arm out of her black dress. However, though, when Victoria tried to do right arm, the one that she knew was fractured, the brunette woman could only loudly groan before she moaned out, "it hurts too much."

Nestor's brown irises immediately softened when he heard the pain come out of the usually strong and stubborn Miller woman before he softly assured her, "I got you." The Oceteva man then moved himself to stand directly in front of Victoria instead of to the side of her before he carefully helped slide the brunette woman's injured arm from the black strap of her dress.

Nestor gently placed the Miller woman's arm to her side with a light touch of a feather once her injured limb was free as to not cause Victoria anymore pain. The Oceteva man then connected his brown eyes with Victoria's hazel ones as he slowly began to push the black dress down the brunette woman's waist so he could reach her ribs while he avoided looking down at her body when she was so vulnerable in front of him. 

"Thanks," Victoria quietly mumbled with a hint of embarrassment shining on her reddened cheeks once the Oceteva man had took a step back and she could feel the cold air on her exposed skin. Victoria wasn't one to be embarrassed of showing her body but being in front of Nestor half naked like this made Victoria feel like that weak little girl again and she absolutely hated feeling that way after so many years of moving past the trauma of her childhood.

The Oceteva man only nodded his head as he could tell Victoria was feeling uncomfortable before he headed back to the medical supplies on the table. Nestor decided that he would fix up the Miller woman's ribs first since that way he figured Victoria would be relaxed with her not so exposed. The Oceteva man grabbed a white compression wrap from the table and moved back in front of the Miller woman. 

Nestor had to bend down a little bit since the Miller woman was so small before he placed one side of the compression wrap against Victoria's stomach. The Oceteva man looked up at Victoria with an assuring smile before he quickly but cautiously wrapped the compression piece around Victoria's ribs and secured it together. 

"Ow, fuck," the Miller woman moaned out with her hazel eyes scrunched up once she felt the compression wrap pressing against her ribs. Victoria knew the feeling of wrapping up broken ribs but that didn't mean it was anymore uncomfortable than it had been when she was younger. 

"It'll get easier once you get used to it," Nestor assured the Miller woman with a slight smile playing on his lips before he slowly lifted Victoria's black dress over the wrap and further up her chest so she wouldn't be uncomfortable with being exposed like that in front of him as he knew that she hated feeling weak from the short amount of time that he has known the pediatric nurse. 

Nestor watched the Miller woman for a moment as he made sure that the compression wrap wasn't causing her too much pain -  other than the usual feeling of being wrapped tightly - before he moved onto her next injury. "So, what part of the arm do you think you broke?" The Oceteva man inquired as he squinted his eyes at the brunette woman's right arm. 

The pediatric nurse sluggishly lifted her left arm and moved her hand over to the area that she had felt this most pain. "It's mostly in this region," Victoria mumbled as she pointed towards her shoulder socket and down to a few inches above her elbow. 

The Oceteva man studied where Victoria was pointing towards for a moment as he carefully prodded the brunette woman's upper arm so he could figure out what kind of fracture she had. Nestor took a few more minutes of feeling Victoria's injured arm before he silently nodded his head and murmured, mostly to himself, when he realized which bone was broken, "midshaft humerus."

"That's what I was thinking," Victoria tiredly mumbled as she sleepily watched as the Oceteva man grabbed a plain white brace for her arm. The Miller woman then straightened out her body - instead of being bent sideways to hold her exhausted body up - when Nestor walked back towards her and began to place the brace around her injured limb. 

"How do you know so much about medical procedures for breaks, anyway?" Victoria curiously wondered with a twitch of her head as the Oceteva man placed the brace around her with a touch of expertise. The brunette woman shot Nestor a small, teasing smile as she joked, "I thought I was the nurse here."

The Oceteva man let out a small chuckle as he wrapped the straps of the brace across Victoria's chest and tightly secured it. Nestor glanced into the brunette woman's hazel eyes for a quick moment before he explained as he focused back on making sure the brace was fitted in the right position, "I had medical training while I was serving with the Navy."

Victoria silently nodded her head in understanding before she murmured, "I suppose that comes in pretty handy these days." The Miller woman figured that it's smart to have medical training like Nestor does if tonight was any indication with only a small outing with the leader of the Galindo cartel. Victoria would bet all the money in the world that this wasn't the first time someone had to be patched up like how she is always patching up the Mayans.

"Well, don't make it a habit in getting hurt," the Oceteva man jokingly told the pediatric nurse when he glanced into her hazel irises with amusement shining through his brown ones before he quickly focused right back onto the brace to make sure that he was doing it correctly and wasn't causing Victoria anymore pain. 

The Miller woman rolled her hazel eyes as she muttered, "trust me, I don't plan on having a repeat of tonight." Victoria hated getting hurt as it reminded her so much of her childhood and how weak she used to be because of her father, so Victoria definitely didn't plan on making it a habit, ever.

The conference room in the Galindo compound slowly became silent for a few minutes as the Oceteva man triple checked the arm brace before he uttered once he was finished, "alright, there we are." Nestor then took two small steps back so he could observe his final product before he inquired encase he needed to fix anything, "how does it feel?"

Victoria cautiously lifted up her right injured arm before she was pleased when her arm stayed secured in place by her side like it should. The Miller woman shot the cartel assassin a small smile before she told him, "it's good." Victoria knew that Nestor had done it correctly since she had repaired multiple bones through her ortho rotations while in nursing school. 

The Oceteva man shot the brunette woman a small grin as he commented, "good." The grin on Nestor's face, however, didn't stay long when he noticed blood dripping from Victoria's face that he didn't notice earlier. Nestor stepped closer back in front of the Miller woman before he brought his hand to the side of Victoria's face and murmured, "you have a gash."

The Miller woman immediately furrowed her brows when she heard what the cartel assassin said before she quickly brought her hand to her head where she could feel a swoosh of cold air. Victoria tapped the spot above her eyebrow before she connected her hazel irises to her hand and sure enough, there was fresh blood covering her fingertips. The brunette woman rolled her eyes at the red liquid before she mumbled, mostly to herself, "I guess he did get in a few good punches." 

The Oceteva man couldn't help the anger that bubbled into him when Victoria mentioned what happened tonight. Nestor had slowly gotten closer to the Miller woman over the last week so he had become to care about her as well and he did not like hearing about someone hurting her. However, Nestor wasn't one to show his emotions, so he pushed them to the back of his mind as he muttered through his clenched jaw, "let me patch it up."

Nestor walked back over to the kit of medical supplies and searched through everything before he found what he was looking for - the suture kit. The Oceteva man took the needle and thread out of the package and grabbed a disinfect wipe before he walked back over to the Miller woman. Nestor knew that he needed to be close to the wound, so he settled himself between Victoria's thighs before he got to work as he wiped the blood from Victoria's face.

The Oceteva man made sure there wasn't anymore blood on Victoria's face before he tossed the bloody disinfect wipe down onto the table behind the brunette woman. Nestor then connected his brown eyes with Victoria's hazel ones before he gently inquired as he wanted to make sure that Victoria was doing okay before he began, "you ready?"

Victoria took a slow deep breath through her fractured ribs before she nodded her head and mumbled, "stitch me up." The whole stitching thing didn't actually bother Victoria at all. Victoria couldn't even count how many times Chibs had to patch her up from when she would get into fights along with any trouble she would find with her brother, Opie, and Jax when she was a teenager in Charming. 

It was just the fact that Victoria was just so exhausted from everything that happened tonight. The broken bones and bleeding face was nothing compared of how emotionally exhausted Victoria was right now. The injuries did account to why she was feeling like a weak little girl, though, and she hated that so much. Victoria rarely showed weakness - except with Angel - so she hated that she was feeling like that again in front of someone that she had barely started being friends with.

The other thought that was bothering Victoria and her exhausted body was the guilt. Victoria felt guilty that she didn't do more in protecting the youngest Galindo. The Miller woman prided herself in caring for children as a pediatric nurse, so she felt horrible that she couldn't keep Cristobal safe. However, as Victoria aimlessly messed with her fingers, she silently swore that she was going to do everything that she could in helping find the Galindo son.

While the Miller woman was lost in her guilt and her emotional trauma, the Oceteva man began to work on stitching up the opened cut above Victoria's eyebrow. The conference room in the Galindo compound was silent with only the sound of the needle and thread going through the pediatric nurse's skin for a couple of minutes before Nestor finally tied off the suture.

The Oceteva man took a step back once he was finished and studied his work for a moment or two as he made sure that it was perfect and there was no more blood falling through the gash. Nestor nodded his head to himself as he was pleased with his work before he connected his brown irises with Victoria's hazel ones. The Oceteva man couldn't help but frown when he could see the strong emotions swirling through the pediatric nurse's eyes, though. 

Nestor walked back between the distracted Miller woman's thighs before he gently grabbed ahold of Victoria's chin and slowly stroked the side of her face. "Hey," the Oceteva man softly murmured to get Victoria to focus on him before he continued, "everything's going to be alright." Nestor wasn't the best at comforting people but he was willing to try for the Miller woman for some reason that he couldn't understand.

The Oceteva man trailed his large hand down the side of Victoria's neck and gave her warm skin a small squeeze before he told the brunette woman in a soft but determined voice, "I'm going to figure out who did this." Nestor shook his head with his jaw clinched tightly while he continued to gently hold the brunette woman close before he snarled out, "I promise, I won't stop until they are dead." The cartel assassin rubbed his fingers along the side of Victoria's face as he added, "I promise, no one will touch you ever again."

Victoria knew that the Oceteva man was just talking about what happened tonight but the brunette woman couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine at the promise as her mind went swiftly back to her childhood and the fact that her father was still free out in the world. Victoria always had this feeling that her father would come back for her, so it made her feel safe - even thought Ezekiel was really the only one that knew what she had gone through.

Victoria mentally shook her head when she realized what she was thinking about as she knew it wasn't the time right now to be thinking about her abusive and free father. Instead, the Miller woman took a deep breath before she looked into Nestor's brown irises with tears clouding her hazel ones from Nestor's assuring words - even though he basically promised to kill someone for her but that wasn't anything new for Victoria when she had been close to two motorcycle clubs' her whole life. 

The thought that Nestor, someone that she was slowly becoming to trust, would do something like that was what mattered to Victoria. The pediatric nurse learnt to respect someone with that kind of loyalty from Queen Gemma herself, so it meant the world to Victoria that Nestor was willing to do that for her. 

Victoria gave the Oceteva man, who was gazing into her hazel eyes from his position between her thighs, a small smile before she reached down and grabbed his free hand that wasn't settled on her neck and gave his hand the hardest squeeze that she could. "Thank you," Victoria softly whispered as she felt safe for the first time since the incident. 

Nestor gave the Miller woman a small smile along with a small nod as he accepted her praise before he told Victoria with a tiny smirk playing on his lips at the use of her nickname that he learned while in Charming, "I got your back, tiger." The Oceteva man could see the emotions swirling through Victoria's hazel eyes as he carefully watched her for a moment before he murmured, "come here." Nestor pulled the brunette woman into his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist as he knew Victoria needed it right now and he would gladly be her shoulder to cry on. 

The Miller woman couldn't help but release a sigh of relief when Nestor wrapped his warm body around hers. Victoria didn't know how much she needed the comfort until she was in Nestor's arms. It just made all her worries disappear for the moment as she absorbed the comfort from the cartel assassin. 

However, the comfort didn't stop from Victoria's thoughts to go running wild, though. The Miller woman's mind was filled with every horrible detail that she had witnessed tonight in the desert. Victoria still felt so guilty about how she couldn't save Emily and Miguel the pain of losing their child when she could have done something - even though there wasn't really anything that she could have done against three people. 

The Miller woman just hated feeling this useless when she was all about protecting the people in her life and that now included the Galindo prince. Victoria didn't like to sit back and wait. She was never like that even back then when her Godson had been kidnapped to another country, so Victoria didn't plan on doing that now. Victoria mentally swore as she squeezed her hazel eyes against Nestor's chest that she was going to do whatever she could to help bring Cristobal back home no matter the cost. 


End file.
